A Federal High Court sitting in Abuja has barred the Senate from going ahead 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 chairman of the panel set up to probe Natasha had appeared on Arise Television on Wednesday morning to say he did not believe that the Senate President harassed Natasha sexually.
He had also dismissed Natasha’s allegation that Akpabio’s refusal to recognize her to speak on the floor of the chamber had no nexus with sexual harassment, a commentary that made the programme team to express fear that the embattled senator might not get fair hearing before the ethics Committee.
Although Senator Imasue who is the head if the Ethics Committee assured that Natasha would get justice, analysts with sympathy for the Senate is also expressing concern over 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.
The Ethics and Privileges committee is expected to thrash it out before beginning Natasha’s probe.
