The Clerk to the National Assembly (CNA), Barrister Kamoru Ogunlana, has urged the public to remain patient as the Senate and the courts determine the fate of suspended Senator Natasha Akpoti-Uduaghan (PDP, Kogi Central).
In a statement issued in Abuja by his Director of Information, Bullah Audu Bi-Allah, Ogunlana stressed that his office lacks the authority to review or overturn Senate decisions, noting that the CNA functions purely as an administrative arm in line with the Constitution and Senate Standing Orders.
He explained that only the Senate or a competent court can decide whether Senator Akpoti-Uduaghan may resume legislative duties following her six-month suspension, which was imposed by the Senate on 6 March 2025.
Although the matter was challenged in court, he noted that the Federal High Court did not nullify the Senate’s resolution, and the case remains before the Court of Appeal.
The CNA said he had conveyed Senator Akpoti-Uduaghan’s letter of 4 September, in which she expressed her intention to resume, to the Senate leadership.
However, the matter was deemed sub judice, meaning any resumption must await either a new Senate resolution or a binding court order.
“The Clerk is therefore not in a position to facilitate her resumption at this time,” the statement read, reaffirming the CNA’s commitment to due process, constitutionalism, and the rule of law.
The clarification comes just days before the Senate reconvenes on 23 September.