The Senate has hailed the Court of Appeal’s ruling, which upheld the red chamber’s decision to suspend Senator Natasha Akpoti-Uduaghan, representing Kogi Central, for alleged misconduct.
A three-member panel of the appellate court, in a unanimous judgment, held that Akpoti-Uduaghan’s parliamentary privilege and constitutional rights were not breached by her suspension.
The appellate court further held that the Senate has powers to discipline any erring member and that, in the instant case, Akpoti-Uduaghan’s fundamental right was never breached as she alleged.
Justice Abba Mohammed, who delivered the ruling, held that, by virtue of the provision of Section 66(4) of the Senate’s standing rules, the Senate has the power to invoke disciplinary action to ensure orderliness in the conduct of the Senate’s proceedings.
Reacting to the judgement, Chairman of the Senate Committee on Media and Public Affairs, Senator Yemi Adaramodu, in a statement in Abuja on Monday said, “The judgment decisively reinforces parliamentary autonomy and separation of powers, confirming that the Senate’s power to discipline its members is constitutionally protected and justiciable only where there is a clear breach of the Constitution or statute.”
Adaramodu further stated that “crucially, the Court held that lawful disciplinary action by the Senate does not infringe a member’s fundamental rights; such rights are not activated outside compliance with Senate rules governing participation.”
“In effect, members must submit to internal legislative discipline, and courts will not intervene unless there is a demonstrable constitutional violation,” he said.
