The Abuja Division of the Federal High Court, on Monday, ordered Senate President Godswill Akpabio and others to file their defence in a suit filed by Senator Natasha Akpoti-Uduaghan, representing Kogi Central Senatorial District.

Justice Obiora Egwuatu gave the order after it was confirmed from the court records that all processes in the suit had been duly served on the defendants.

The embattled senator had, in a motion ex-parte marked FHC/ABJ/CS/384/2025, sued the clerk of the National Assembly (NASS) and the Senate as the first and second defendants.

Mrs Akpoti-Uduaghan also named the Senate president and Senator Neda Imasuem, the chairman of the Senate Committee on Ethics, Privileges and Code of Conduct, as third and fourth defendants,  respectively.

The lawmaker, among others, sought an order of interim injunction restraining the Senate’s committee headed by Mr Imasuem from proceeding with the purported investigation against her for alleged misconduct sequel to the events that occurred at the plenary on February 20, pursuant to the referral by the Senate on February 25, pending the hearing and determination of the motion on notice for interlocutory injunction.

Mr Egwuatu had, on March 4, granted all the prayers in Mrs Akpoti-Uduaghan’s motion, including an order declaring any action taken during the pendency of the suit as null, void and of no effect whatsoever.

The judge also granted leave to the lawmaker to serve the second to fourth defendants the originating summons and all other accompanying processes in the suit by substituted means, to wit, by serving the same through the first defendant (clerk of NASS) or pasting the same on the premises of the National Assembly and publishing it in two national dailies.

Justice Egwuatu subsequently made an order “directing the first to fourth defendants to come and show cause within 72 hours upon the service of the order on them why an order of interlocutory injunction should not be granted against them restraining them from proceeding with the purported investigation against the plaintiff for alleged misconduct without affording her privileges as stipulated in the 1999 Constitution (as amended), the Senate Standing Order 2023 and the Legislative Houses (Powers and Privileges) Act.”

Upon the resumed hearing on Monday, counsel to the first (clerk), second (Senate) and third (Mr Akpabio) defendants told the court that they had not been served with the processes in the suit.

However, Mrs Akpoti-Uduaghan’s lawyer, Michael Numa (SAN), disagreed with their submission.

Mr Numa informed the court that all parties had been served, adding that affidavits of service were already before the court.

After going through the affidavits of service in the court records, Justice Egwatu confirmed service of all processes on all defendants.

At this point, counsel to the Senate president, Kehinde Ogunwumiju (SAN), prayed the court for an adjournment for all processes to be regularised.

Other lawyers aligned with Mr Ogunwumiju’s submission, pointing out that this would facilitate an accelerated hearing at the next adjourned date.

Justice Egwatu, in a ruling, ordered that all relevant processes be filed and served on parties before the next adjourned date.

The judge then adjourned the matter until March 25 for a hearing.

The upper chamber, at a plenary presided over by the Senate president on Thursday, suspended Mrs Akpoti-Uduaghan for six months after it considered the report of the committee chaired by Mr Imasuem.

(NAN)