Only Senate Can Reinstate Senator Natasha, Says Clerk

The Office of the Clerk to the National Assembly has clarified its relation successful the ongoing contention surrounding Senator Natasha Akpoti-Uduaghan’s suspension, stating that lone the Senate tin reinstate her.

In a connection issued to journalists yesterday successful Abuja by the Director of Information, Mr. Bullah Audu Bi-Allah, the Clerk emphasised that the bureau operates strictly arsenic an administrative assemblage and does not person the powerfulness to reverse, interpret, oregon modify decisions made by the Senate.

“The Clerk does not person the authorization to review, reverse, oregon construe Senate decisions,” the connection read.

On March 6, 2025, the Senate suspended Senator Akpoti-Uduaghan for six months. Although the substance was challenged successful court, the Federal High Court did not contented a binding bid nullifying the suspension oregon compelling her reinstatement.

On September 4, 2025, the Senator notified the Clerk’s bureau of her volition to resume legislative duties.
However, the bureau noted that specified correspondence is typically addressed to the Senate President.
The Clerk forwarded the missive to the Senate leadership, which responded that the lawsuit remains earlier the Court of Appeal and is truthful sub judice.

“Any alteration successful presumption indispensable travel either from a caller Senate solution oregon a definitive tribunal order,” the Clerk’s bureau stated, adding that it is not successful a presumption to facilitate her instrumentality astatine this time.
In response, the Senator’s ineligible team, M.J. Numa & Partners LLP, accused the Clerk’s bureau of administrative overreach and threatened ineligible and disciplinary action.

However, the Clerk maintained that each actions person been wrong lawful administrative boundaries and aligned with owed process.

“The determination of whether Senator Natasha Akpoti-Uduaghan tin resume her legislative duties aft the expiration of her six-month suspension lies solely with the Senate, not with the Office of the Clerk,” the connection read.

The Clerk’s bureau reaffirmed its committedness to upholding law provisions, organization integrity, and the regularisation of law.

It called connected the nationalist to stay calm and let the Senate and the judiciary to discharge their responsibilities per the law.