NASS Clerk Clarifies Role In Akpoti-Uduaghan Suspension Row

The Office of the Clerk to the National Assembly has distanced itself from claims that it obstructed Senator Natasha Akpoti-Uduaghan from resuming her legislative duties after the expiration of her suspension, saying it only acts on decisions of the Senate and court orders.

In a statement signed by the Director of Information, Bullah Audu Bi-Allah, the Clerk’s office said it had become necessary to clarify its role following media reports and correspondence from the senator’s legal representatives accusing it of overreach.

According to the statement, the Clerk to the National Assembly is strictly an administrative arm that provides support to the Senate in line with its resolutions, Standing Orders and the 1999 Constitution, and has no power to review, reverse or interpret Senate decisions.

The Senate had on 6 March 2025 suspended Akpoti-Uduaghan for six months — a decision which, though challenged in court, has not been invalidated or reversed by any binding order.

The Clerk’s office noted that the senator communicated her intention to resume duties on 4 September 2025, and that it duly conveyed the letter to Senate leadership. The Senate leadership, it said, responded that the matter remains before the Court of Appeal and that any change in status must come either through a new resolution of the Senate or a definitive court order.

“The Clerk is therefore not in a position to facilitate her resumption at this time,” the statement read.

The office described as unfortunate a letter from Akpoti-Uduaghan’s lawyers accusing it of overreach, stressing that it had acted within lawful administrative limits and in faithful observance of due process.

It emphasised that only the Senate can determine whether Akpoti-Uduaghan can resume her legislative duties without a further resolution, not the Clerk’s office.

Reaffirming its commitment to constitutionalism, institutional respect and the rule of law, the Clerk’s office urged the public to remain patient and allow the Senate and the courts to discharge their constitutional responsibilities.