Judge Steps Down From Natasha’s Case After Akpabio’s Petition
Justice Obiora Egwuatu of the Federal High Court in Abuja has stepped down from a case involving suspended Senator Natasha Akpoti-Uduaghan. Justice Egwuatu was assigned to hear the suit, but on Tuesday, he announced that he would no longer handle the matter. He made this decision after Senate President Godswill Akpabio wrote a petition questioning his impartiality. Although the case was scheduled for hearing, when the court clerk called it up, the judge ruled that he was stepping aside. He said he would return the case file to the Chief Judge, who would assign it to another judge. On March 4, Justice Egwuatu issued an interim order stopping the Senate Committee on Ethics, Privileges, and Public Petitions from proceeding with disciplinary actions against Akpoti-Uduaghan. She was accused of violating Senate rules. The judge ruled that the disciplinary process should not continue until the case was decided. He also gave the defendants 72 hours to explain why the court should not stop them from investigating the senator without following the rules laid out in the 1999 Constitution, the Senate Standing Order 2023, and the Legislative Houses (Powers and Privileges) Act. Justice Egwuatu allowed the senator to serve legal documents on the defendants using substituted means. The court ordered that the documents be given to the Clerk of the National Assembly or pasted at the National Assembly premises. They were also to be published in two national newspapers. The interim order came after the senator filed an urgent application. However, despite the court’s ruling, the Senate Committee still held its meeting and suspended her for six months. Later, after the defendants applied, Justice Egwuatu amended his earlier order. He removed the part that prevented the Senate from taking any action while the case was ongoing. Meanwhile, Akpabio’s legal team, led by Kehinde Ogunwumiju, questioned the court’s authority to interfere in Senate affairs. Punch