The Federal High Court sitting in Abuja has restrained the Senate from going on with its scheduled public hearing on the alleged misconduct of Senator Natasha Akpoti-Uduaghan.
Justice Obiora Egwuatu, who granted the interim injunction among others, ordered the National Assembly, Senate and the Senate Committee on Ethics to suspend the hearing scheduled for Wednesday.
The defendants, including the Clerk to the National Assembly, clerk of the Senate and the Committee on Ethics, are to show cause within 72 hours why an interlocutory injunction to stop the hearing should not be granted.
Recall that Natasha had been invited for the hearing rescheduled to proceed on Wednesday, March 5 over her conduct at the Senate when she accused Senate President Godswill Akpabio of victimising her by reallocating her seat.
She had subsequently accused the Senate President, Godswill Akpabio, of sexually harassing her.
The immediate question by analysts is whether the Court can validly restrain the Legislature, an independent arm of government with parliamentary or legislative immunity, from performing its functions as constitutionally circumscribed.
This is the question that the Senate will have to determine today as the Ethics and Privileges committee sets out to begin Natasha’s probe.
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