The Clerk to the National Assembly (CNA), Kamoru
Ogunlana, has clarified that Senator Natasha Akpoti-Uduaghan of Kogi Central
can only resume her legislative duties through a fresh Senate resolution or an
express court order.
This followed the expiration of her six-month
suspension imposed by the Senate on March 6, 2025. In a statement signed by the
Director of Information, Bullah Audu Bi-Allah, the CNA stressed that his office
lacked the power to alter or interpret Senate decisions.
Ogunlana explained that while Akpoti-Uduaghan had
written to notify his office of her intention to resume, the matter remains sub
judice at the Court of Appeal. He added that the office had merely conveyed the
correspondence to Senate leadership, which noted that any change must come from
the legislature or the judiciary.
The Clerk dismissed threats of legal and disciplinary
action against his office by Akpoti-Uduaghan’s lawyers, describing them as
misplaced. He maintained that his role was strictly administrative and guided
by the Constitution, Senate Standing Orders, and resolutions.
“The determination of whether Senator Natasha
Akpoti-Uduaghan can resume her legislative duties as of right without a further
resolution of the Senate lies solely with the Senate and not with the Clerk’s
office,” the statement read.
The CNA reaffirmed his commitment to due process and
urged the public to allow the Senate and the courts to handle the matter within
their constitutional limits.
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