Court bars Natasha Akpoti, Akpabio from speaking to press about ongoing case

A federal high court in Abuja has issued an order restraining all parties involved in the suit filed by Natasha Akpoti-Uduaghan against Senate President Godswill Akpabio and three others from speaking to the press about matters related to the case.

Binta Nyako, the presiding judge, issued the order on Friday following a complaint by Kehinde Ogunwumiju, lawyer to Akpabio, that the plaintiff (Akpoti-Uduaghan) had been appearing on various television stations to discuss the ongoing suit.

In a brief ruling, Justice Nyako directed that all parties and their lawyers must refrain from granting press interviews related to the case.

She also prohibited the streaming of court proceedings on social media platforms. 

BACKGROUND

Akpoti-Uduaghan had filed a suit to stop the senate committee on ethics and public petitions from instituting disciplinary proceedings against her.

On March 4, the judge issued an order restraining the senate from commencing disciplinary proceedings against Akpoti-Uduaghan following an ex parte application filed by counsels to the senator.

The judge ruled that the defendants should come and show cause within 72 hours, upon the service of the order, why an interlocutory injunction should not be issued against them.

Two days after the judgment, the senate suspended the Kogi senator for six months over alleged gross misconduct. The decision followed the adoption of the report by the committee on ethics, privileges and public petitions.

On March 19, Obiora Egwuatu, presiding judge, vacated his March 4 order restraining the senate from suspending the Kogi senator.

At the resumed court session on March 25, Egwuatu announced his decision to recuse himself from the case after taking the appearance of lawyers for the parties in the suit.

Egwuatu disclosed that his decision was because of an allegation of bias against him by Akpabio.

He ordered that the case file be transferred to John Tsoho, the chief judge of the federal high court, for reassignment. The case was then reassigned to Nyako.