Senate President Godswill Akpabio has gone to the Court of Appeal in Abuja to challenge a recent decision by the Federal High Court. The court had questioned the Senate’s powers and told them to bring back Senator Natasha Akpoti-Uduaghan after her suspension.

The appeal was filed on July 14, 2025, by Akpabio’s legal team, led by lawyer Kehinde Ogunwumiju (SAN). They said the trial judge, Justice Binta Nyako, went too far by getting involved in Senate matters. They also claimed that the judge made rulings on issues that Natasha herself didn’t raise in her original case.

Earlier, the Federal High Court had ruled that suspending Natasha for six months was too much. The court said the suspension should be removed and asked the Senate to reinstate her to protect democracy and fair representation. Akpabio, however, believes the court had no right to make such a demand and called it an abuse of power.

“The court cannot grant relief that was not asked for. The recommendation that Senator Natasha be recalled was not part of her originating summons. The court crossed the line,” the appeal states.

Akpabio also said Natasha’s court case was brought too early. He explained that when she took legal action in March 2025, the Senate had not officially suspended her yet, and the investigation into her actions was still going on.

He also argued that the Federal High Court was not the right place to handle the matter. According to Akpabio, only certain courts can deal with issues about how the Senate functions, based on Section 251 of the 1999 Constitution. He added that Natasha didn’t follow legal procedures, as she failed to give the National Assembly a warning notice before suing them, which is required by law.

“The judge ignored clear legal thresholds. This case should never have been heard in the first place,” the appeal argued, warning that allowing such decisions to stand would erode parliamentary independence and invite dangerous judicial interference in legislative affairs.

Lastly, Akpabio’s lawyers said the judge introduced new points—especially about how long Natasha was suspended—without allowing either side to talk about them. They believe this denied Akpabio the chance to defend himself properly, which goes against the right to a fair hearing.

“The law is clear: no judge should raise and decide new issues without hearing from all sides. This was a serious breach,” the appeal said.