A Federal High Court in Abuja has affirmed that the Nigerian Senate possesses the constitutional authority to discipline its members for acts deemed unethical, in a ruling that also found Senator Natasha guilty of contempt of court.
Delivering judgment on Friday, Justice Binta Nyako held that, under Senate rules, the Senate President has the power to allocate seats to members, and senators are required to speak only from the seats assigned to them.
Justice Nyako noted that Senator Natasha, who was not speaking from her allocated seat during the Senate’s sitting of February 20, was therefore not entitled to be heard on that occasion.
While confirming the Senate’s right to suspend erring members, Justice Nyako advised the legislative body to review the length of Natasha’s suspension and consider recalling her to enable her continue representing her constituency. The judge also urged the senator to tender an apology to the Senate.
In a separate ruling, Justice Nyako found Natasha guilty of contempt of court for violating an interim order issued on April 4, which barred all parties from commenting publicly on matters related to a pending suit. Despite the order, the senator posted a satirical letter on her Facebook page on April 27.
Describing the offence as civil contempt, Justice Nyako ruled that Natasha would not serve a prison sentence but must pay a fine of N5 million to the Federal Government. Additionally, the court ordered her to publish a public apology in two national newspapers and on her Facebook page within seven days.
The case, as observed by WorldClass247News underscores tensions between legislative discipline and individual rights within the National Assembly, as well as the judiciary’s insistence on respect for its authority.