On March 25, 2025, Justice Obiora Egwuatu of the Federal High Court in Abuja stepped down from a high-profile case involving suspended Senator Natasha Akpoti-Uduaghan, who had filed a suit challenging her suspension from the Nigerian Senate. The recusal, which has drawn significant attention across Nigeria, was prompted by allegations of bias raised by the third defendant in the case, Senate President Godswill Akpabio. This development has further fueled discussions about judicial impartiality, political interference, and gender dynamics in Nigeria’s political landscape.
Senator Natasha Akpoti-Uduaghan, representing Kogi Central, was suspended for six months by the Nigerian Senate on March 6, 2025, following her allegations of sexual harassment against Senate President Godswill Akpabio. Akpoti-Uduaghan, one of only four female senators in the 109-member Senate, claimed that Akpabio had made inappropriate advances toward her, including suggestive comments and gestures during a visit to his residence in 2023. She further alleged that the Senate operates like a “cult” under Akpabio’s dictatorial leadership, a claim that Akpabio and his office have denied (BBC, March 19, 2025).