The Office of the Clerk to the National Assembly has clarified its role amid renewed controversy over the suspension of Senator Natasha Akpoti-Uduaghan, stating it lacks the power to overturn or reinterpret resolutions made by the Senate.
In a statement issued on Monday, Bullah Bi-Allah, Director of Information for the National Assembly, explained that the Clerk’s office functions strictly as an administrative arm and cannot facilitate the return of the lawmaker unless there is a fresh resolution of the Senate or a definitive court order.
Senator Akpoti-Uduaghan, who represents Kogi Central on the platform of the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP), was suspended on March 6, 2025, for six months. The Senate accused her of misconduct, including refusing to sit in her assigned seat, speaking without recognition, and making “abusive remarks” toward Senate leadership.
Although the suspension was challenged in court, the Federal High Court declined to set it aside, and the case is still pending at the Court of Appeal. On September 4, Akpoti-Uduaghan wrote to the Clerk of the National Assembly notifying her intention to resume duties, arguing that the six-month suspension had expired.
The Clerk, however, noted that such communication should ordinarily be addressed to the Senate President in line with parliamentary protocol. The office said it conveyed her letter to the Senate leadership, which in turn noted that since the matter is sub judice, still under judicial consideration, any change in her status must come either through a new Senate resolution or a court ruling.
Akpoti-Uduaghan’s legal team, M. J. Numa & Partners LLP, has threatened legal action, insisting that she is entitled to return immediately since the suspension period has elapsed. But the Clerk stressed that the office is not in a position to authorize her resumption and that only the Senate can make such a decision.
Reaffirming its neutrality, the Clerk’s office emphasised that it remains guided by constitutional provisions, institutional respect, and the rule of law. It urged the public to allow both the Senate and the courts to resolve the matter.
