The Federal High Court in Abuja, on Friday, restrained Kogi Central senator Natasha Akpoti-Uduaghan, Senate President Godswill Akpabio, and others from granting media interviews on issues relating to Mrs Akpoti-Uduaghan’s pending suit challenging her suspension by the Senate.
The judge, Binta Nyako, who newly took over the case after the former judge withdrew last week, gave the gag order during Friday’s proceedings.
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Mrs Nyako ordered that no party or counsel in the suit should grant media interviews pending the hearing and determination of the case.
“There should be no press interview by all parties and counsel as regard the subject matter of this case; no streaming or social media post as regard this case.
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“There should be no TV interviews as regards this. There should be total media blockage,” the judge held.
The News Agency of Nigeria (NAN) reports that the Chief Judge of the Federal High Court, John Tsoho, on Thursday, reassigned the case to Mrs Nyako.
The development followed the withdrawal of the former judge, Obiora Egwuatu, from the matter following a petition sent by Mr Akpabio, the third defendant sued in the case, accusing him of bias.
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Mrs Akpoti-Uduaghan filed the suit last month to halt an investigation by the Senate and its Committee on Ethics into alleged misconduct stemming from a Senate sitting where she had an altercation with Mr Akpabio over her assigned seat.
Despite the suit and the initial restraining order issued by the former judge handling the case, the Senate proceeded to suspend her for six months.
The case has attracted both local and international media attention, further intensified by Mrs Akpoti-Uduaghan’s allegations of sexual harassment against Mr Akpabio.
The senate committee on ethics has twice dismissed her sexual harassment petition against Mr Akpabio on grounds of breach of procedure. Mr Akpabio has denied the allegations.
Parties to the case have directly or through allies, media aides and press statements spoken to the media on the matter, making allegations, counter-allegations and denials stemming from the case.
Meanwhile, the media interviews on the matter which the court barred on Friday are not the only channels the affected parties speak to the public about the issues.
For instance, senators, whose comments on the floor of the Senate are covered by immunity, retain freedom to speak when the issues concerning the matter arise.
READ ALSO: Natasha Akpoti-Uduaghan: Freedom fighter of the decade, By Jibrin Ibrahim
Mrs Akpoti-Uduaghan and groups sympathetic to her cause have also submitted petitions to investigative bodies, whose proceedings and filings are covered by the media.
It is also not clear if non-parties to the suit are bound by the court’s gag order.
(NAN)
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