The Senate President, Godswill Akpabio, has filed a notice of appeal to challenge the judgement of the Federal High Court sitting in Abuja which ordered the recall of Senator Natasha Akpoti-Uduaghan to the Senate after her controversial suspension.

The notice of appeal is dated July 14, 2025, and was filed at the Court of Appeal, Abuja.The appeal, marked CA/A//2025, stems from suit number FHC/ABJ/CS/384/2025, which was instituted by Senator Akpoti-Uduaghan to contest her suspension from the Red Chamber.

In the notice of appeal, Akpabio is appealing on 11 grounds and asking the appellate court to set aside the judgment delivered on July 4, 2025, by Justice Binta Nyako of the Federal High Court. The court had ordered the Senate to recall Akpoti-Uduaghan, describing her six-month suspension as excessive and lacking legal justification.

In the reliefs sought before the Court of Appeal, Akpabio is praying for an order allowing the appeal and setting aside the parts of the judgement where the lower court dismissed his preliminary objection, held that the six-month suspension was excessive, and recommended that the Senate should recall Akpoti-Uduaghan.

He is also seeking an order striking out what he described as duplicated reliefs in Akpoti-Uduaghan’s applications for interlocutory injunction, mandatory injunction and originating summons. Furthermore, Akpabio is asking the Court of Appeal to invoke its powers under Section 15 of the Court of Appeal Act to dismiss Akpoti-Uduaghan’s suit for lack of jurisdiction.

In the notice of appeal, Akpabio’s legal team argues that the trial court went beyond its constitutional powers by offering what they describe as “advisory opinions” to the Senate on how it should handle the recall of a suspended member. They insist that the court lacked jurisdiction to interfere in the internal affairs of the Senate or to recommend amendments to the Senate Standing Orders.