The Nigerian Senate says it will not take any action on the suspension of Senator Natasha Akpoti-Uduaghan until it receives a certified true copy (CTC) of the federal high court ruling delivered on July 4.
Senator Yemi Adaramodu, who serves as the spokesperson for the Senate, explained that their legal team confirmed the full judgment was not read out during the court session.
As a result, the Senate has applied for the official document to properly understand the decision before taking further steps.
The court, presided over by Justice Binta Nyako, ruled that while the Senate has the authority to discipline its members, the six-month suspension handed to Akpoti-Uduaghan was excessive and denied her constituents proper representation.
The judge, however, fined the senator N5 million for breaching an earlier court directive through a satirical post on Facebook.
Senator Akpoti-Uduaghan, who represents Kogi Central, has since described the judgment as a victory and declared plans to return to the chamber on Tuesday.
But the Senate insisted that no enrolled order has been served to any party, making it impossible to act on any part of the judgment at the moment.
Adaramodu added that the red chamber will not take steps that may affect its legal stance until the full court ruling is received and reviewed.
Akpoti-Uduaghan was suspended on March 6 after a disagreement with Senate President Godswill Akpabio led to an investigation by the committee on ethics, privileges, and public petitions.
