An Abuja Federal High Court has issued an interim order restraining the Senate Ethics Committee from proceeding with its planned investigation into Senator Natasha Akpoti-Uduaghan, effectively putting the committee’s deliberations on hold. Presiding over the case, Justice Obiora Egwuatu granted the order on Tuesday following an ex parte application filed by Akpoti-Uduaghan’s legal team. The senator represents Kogi Central in the National Assembly. The ruling comes as the committee was preparing to convene and possibly impose an indefinite suspension on the senator. With this order, all proceedings on the matter are suspended pending further judicial review. Waffi TV recalls that on February 20, 2025, during a Senate session, Senator Akpoti-Uduaghan discovered that her seat had been reassigned without prior notice. Viewing this as an attempt to sideline her and limit her contributions, she refused to accept the new seat. Chief Whip Tahir Monguno defended the reassignment, citing Senate rules and arguing that changes were necessary due to shifts in party affiliations. Despite this, Akpoti-Uduaghan remained defiant, leading to a heated exchange with Senate President Godswill Akpabio, who instructed the sergeant-at-arms to enforce the seating arrangement. Following the dispute, the Senate unanimously referred Akpoti-Uduaghan to the Committee on Ethics, Privileges, and Public Petitions for a disciplinary review. The committee, led by Senator Neda Imaseun, was directed to submit its findings within two weeks. In response, Akpoti-Uduaghan filed a N100 billion defamation lawsuit against Senate President Akpabio and his aide, Mfon Patrick. The suit alleges that a Facebook post written by Patrick, reportedly at Akpabio’s direction, contained defamatory remarks about her legislative abilities and personal appearance. The lawsuit seeks damages and a public apology, arguing that the publication damaged her reputation and subjected her to public ridicule.