Nigerian Senate moves to enforce tougher disciplinary measures against erring members

The Nigerian Senate is considering tougher disciplinary sanctions for its members.

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On Tuesday, the 109-member upper chamber passed the first reading of a bill seeking to amend the current framework for punishing lawmakers who violate its rules.

The proposed legislation, titled “Legislative Houses (Powers and Privileges) Act (Amendment) Bill, 2025,” was sponsored by Kaka Shehu (APC, Borno Central).

The bill seeks to introduce more stringent penalties for lawmakers found guilty of misconduct and streamline the existing process, which often involves setting up special committees to investigate and recommend sanctions.

The proposed amendment also seeks to ensure that specific offences attract clearly defined punishments without the need for prolonged deliberations or ad hoc investigations.

Mr Shehu, while speaking with journalists after the bill scaled its first reading, said the amendment seeks to “tighten disciplinary measures among erring members and other related matters against other legislative procedures.”

Although the draft of the amendment has not yet been made public, the development is coming at a time Nigerians are debating legislative discipline, particularly after a recent court ruling against the Senate’s suspension of one of its members, Natasha Akpoti-Uduaghan (PDP, Kogi Central).

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Akpoti-Uduaghan’s suspension and court ruling

On Friday, the Federal High Court in Abuja ruled that the six months suspension imposed on Mrs Akpoti-Uduaghan was excessive and unlawful.

She was suspended in March 2025 for alleged misconduct during a plenary session on 20 February. The suspension, which her colleagues unanimously endorsed, was based on the recommendation of the Senate Committee on Ethics, Privileges and Public Petitions. She challenged it in court.

The judge, Binta Nyako, in the ruling said suspending an elected senator for six months was equivalent to denying representation to a constituency for the duration of a legislative year.

She held that such a penalty violated the provisions of the Legislative Houses (Powers and Privileges) Act, which outlines a far less severe disciplinary duration.

Despite ruling in her favour on the suspension, the court found the senator guilty of civil contempt for a satirical Facebook post she made on 27 April while the suit was still pending. Consequently, the judge awarded a fine of N5 million against her and directed her to issue an apology in two national newspapers and on her Facebook page within seven days of the ruling.

The court declined to jail her because the offence was civil rather than criminal.

What the law currently says

Under Section 21(2) of the Legislative Houses (Powers and Privileges) Act, the suspension of any lawmaker is limited to a maximum of 14 legislative days and a minimum of one legislative day.

Similarly, Order 66(8) of the Senate Standing Orders empowers the Senate President to direct a suspended senator to withdraw, with the duration to be determined by the Senate, but still within the bounds of existing law.

The order states that “If a Senator be suspended under the provisions of this rule, he shall be directed by the President of the Senate to withdraw. His suspension shall last until determined by the Senate.”

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The court, in ruling against the Senate’s action, cited Section 21(2) as the basis for deeming the six-month suspension unlawful.

Next step

The amendment bill, if passed, could reshape how discipline is enforced in Nigeria’s highest legislative chamber by ensuring that specific offences attract clearly defined punishments without the need for prolonged deliberations or ad hoc investigations.

The bill is expected to undergo second reading in the coming weeks, during which senators will debate its merits and possible implications on legislative autonomy, fairness, and democratic representation.

After the second reading, the bill will be sent to a committee that will hold a public hearing. The committee may recommend the bill move to the third reading stage for final passage.