The court orders the call of Natasha, to offer apologies, pay well N5m – Thage

Barth Ikiebe

The High Federal Court sitting in Abuja ordered the Senate to remember the suspended legislator representing Kogi Central, Senator Natasha Akpoti-Auduaghan.

In a sentence pronounced today, Friday 4th July, the judge chanting, judge Binta Nyako, described as “excessive”, the six -month suspension that the Senate slammed against her on March 6 following her clash with the President of the Senate, Godswill Akpabio.

While issuing his judgment, judge Nyako criticized the provision of chapter 8 of the rules of stay of the Senate and section 14 of the legislative houses, powers and privileges, both declaring as exaggerated.

The Court stressed that the two legislation did not specify the maximum period that a legislator at the service could be suspended from the assignment.

According to the Court, since legislators have a total of 181 days to sit in every legislative circle, the suspension of six months delivered to Senator Akpoti-Auduaghan was similar to removing it from its responsibilities to its components for about 180 days.

He considered that although the Senate has the power to punish any of its members who crumble, this sanction must not be excessive to deprive the members of their right to be represented.

However, the Court believed that the president of the Senate, Godswill Akpabio, was not wrong for having denied the actor, who was not on the official place that had been assigned to her, the opportunity to speak during the plenary.

Judge Nyako equally rejected Akpabio’s thesis that jurisdiction was missing from the Court to entertain the case, which according to him limited himself to confronting an internal report of the Senate.

In the meantime, the court has found Senator Akpoti-Auduaghan, guilty of contempt By publishing satirical excuses to the President of the Senate, Godswill Akpabio.

Judge Binta Nyako declared the satirical apologies published on the Natasha Facebook page on April 7, a mockery of an order of bavaglio that was placed on the parties by the court.

Declaring the violation of a civil proceeding, ordered judge Nyako Natasha to take place in the court, which will be published in two national newspapers and on her Facebook page, to eliminate from contempt. He must also pay the sum of N5 million to the Federal Government.

“These orders must be obeyed within 7 days of this sentence,” said the Court.

Post views:
282