Only Senate can approve Natasha’s return – NASS Clerk

 

The Office of the Clerk to the National Assembly has clarified that it has no authority to decide whether suspended Kogi Central Senator, Natasha Akpoti-Uduaghan, can resume her legislative duties

In a statement issued on Monday in Abuja, the Director of Information, Mullah Bi-Allah, representing the Clerk’s office, emphasized that the office functions solely as the administrative arm of the legislature and cannot overturn or review Senate resolutions.

“The Clerk does not possess the authority to review, reverse or interpret Senate decisions,” the statement said.Akpoti-Uduaghan, a first-time senator under the Peoples Democratic Party, was suspended by the Senate on March 6, 2025, for six months. While she challenged the suspension in court, the Federal High Court did not invalidate it, and the case is still before the Court of Appeal.

On September 4, the senator wrote to the Clerk, notifying her intention to resume. The Clerk, however, noted that such communication should follow parliamentary protocol and be addressed to the Senate President.

The statement added, “This office conveyed the same to the Senate leadership, who noted that the matter remains before the Court of Appeal (sub judice), and that any change in status must either come from a fresh Senate resolution or a definitive court order. This communication was what the Clerk to the National Assembly conveyed in the letter, no more, no less. The Clerk is therefore not in a position to facilitate her resumption at this time.”

Bi-Allah also responded to a petition from Akpoti-Uduaghan’s lawyers accusing the office of overreach, stressing that only the Senate can determine whether she may resume her duties.

Reaffirming its neutrality, the Clerk’s office said it remains guided by “the principles of constitutionalism, institutional respect and the rule of law,” urging the public to allow the Senate and the courts to resolve the matter.