The Office of the Clerk to the National Assembly has clarified that it has no authority to determine whether suspended Kogi Central Senator Natasha Akpoti-Uduaghan can resume legislative duties.
In a statement issued in Abuja, Mullah Bi-Allah, Director of Information speaking on behalf of the Clerk’s office, said the office functions solely as the administrative arm of the legislature and cannot review, reverse, or interpret Senate resolutions.
Akpoti-Uduaghan, a first-time senator representing the Peoples Democratic Party, was suspended by the Senate on March 6, 2025, for six months. Although she challenged the suspension in court, the Federal High Court did not overturn the decision, and the matter is now pending before the Court of Appeal.
On September 4, the senator wrote to the Clerk notifying her intention to resume duties. The Clerk’s office, however, noted that such correspondence should be directed to the Senate President in line with parliamentary protocol. “Any change in status must either come from a fresh Senate resolution or a definitive court order,” the statement said.
Bi-Allah also responded to a petition from Akpoti-Uduaghan’s lawyers accusing the Clerk’s office of overreach. He stressed that the decision on whether she can resume lies solely with the Senate, not the administrative office, and reaffirmed the Clerk’s commitment to constitutional principles, institutional respect, and the rule of law.