A former Commissioner for Justice and Attorney General of Kaduna State, Mark Jacobs, has said Senator Natasha Akpoti-Uduaghan should be allowed to resume at the Senate following the expiration of her six-month suspension.
On Tuesday, the Senate acknowledged receiving a letter from the lawmaker, notifying the upper chamber of her intention to resume. However, the Senate maintained that her matter would not be addressed until the court delivers a ruling.
Speaking on Channels Television’s The Morning Brief on Wednesday, Jacobs argued that the senator representing Kogi Central does not require the conclusion of a judicial process to return to her seat.
“What I see is a further display of impunity gone wild. The Senate has always insisted that nobody, including the courts, should interfere with its constitutional powers to discipline members. Yet, the same Senate suspended this woman for six months, and when those six months expired, there should be no confusion; she should have been allowed to resume her seat,” he said.
Senator Akpoti-Uduaghan was suspended in March 2025 for allegedly violating Senate rules. She later challenged the decision in court in July but was unable to resume sitting.
Last week, she wrote to the Senate, notifying it of her intention to resume, but the lawmakers resolved to wait until the conclusion of the ongoing court case.
Jacobs criticised the decision, describing it as a case of double standards. He recalled that a court had already ruled her suspension unconstitutional.
“You cannot blow hot and cold at the same time. You cannot say the courts should not interfere in your internal affairs and then turn around to rely on the court process to delay compliance with your own rules. Six months should be six months, no discussion, no hesitation,” he said.
He further accused the Senate of frustrating the judicial process through constant objections and preliminary filings, which he said were preventing the substantive issues from being heard.
“They keep filing one objection or the other to make sure we don’t get to a hearing. If they believe they have evidence against her, let the matter proceed in court. But you can’t keep the case stalled and at the same time deny her return after the suspension period has lapsed,” Jacobs added.