CLT to Natasha: Wait for court ruling before returning to Senate

By Luminous Jannamike

ABUJA – The Centre for Leadership Training (CLT) has urged Senator Natasha Akpoti-Uduaghan to wait for the Court of Appeal to decide on her case before attempting to return to the Senate.

The group said Natasha’s suspension remains in effect and supported the Senate’s decision to await the court’s ruling before taking further action.

Speaking to journalists in Abuja on Tuesday, CLT President, Chief Azuka Francis, said Natasha’s plan to return before September 6 was wrong and went against the Senate’s earlier resolution.

“First, Senator Natasha’s stated resumption date is erroneous. Her suspension, as resolved by the Senate, runs its full course until Saturday, September 6, 2025. It is therefore premature and inconsistent with the Senate’s resolution for her to attempt a return before the expiration of the subsisting sanction,” he said.

The Senate had earlier written to Natasha through a letter dated September 4, 2025, signed by the Acting Clerk to the National Assembly, Dr. Yahaya Danzaria.

In the letter, the Senate said Natasha could not resume yet because her case was still before the Court of Appeal.

“The subject matter of your suspension is presently before the Court of Appeal. The matter therefore remains sub judice, and until the judicial process is concluded and the Senate formally reviews the suspension in the light of the Court’s pronouncement, no administrative action can be taken by this office to facilitate your resumption,” the Clerk stated.

Natasha had earlier informed the Clerk that she was ready to return to plenary, arguing that her six-month suspension, which began on March 6, 2025, had lapsed.

CLT said that since the matter was already in court, it was necessary for all parties to wait for the judicial process to conclude before taking further steps.

“As a law-abiding institution founded on the principles of constitutionalism, separation of powers, and respect for judicial authority, the Senate cannot, and will not, act in a manner that prejudices the ongoing judicial process,” Francis said.

He added that stakeholders should allow the court to decide the case before making further moves.

“The Senate remains firmly committed to fairness, discipline, and the sanctity of its internal rules, while at the same time demonstrating absolute fidelity to the Nigerian Constitution and the authority of the courts. Until the judiciary has made its final pronouncement, all parties must exercise patience, respect due process, and uphold the integrity of democratic institutions,” he said.

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