Former lawmaker, Shehu Sani, has reacted to the controversy surrounding Senator Natasha Akpoti-Uduaghan’s attempt to resume duties at the National Assembly, saying her return remains uncertain until the courts decide her fate.

Sani, in a post on Wednesday, noted that the senator’s suspension has effectively stalled her comeback.

“If the pending court issues have to be resolved before the Kogi senator resumes, then the resumption has no date,” he wrote.

He further argued that suspensions in the Senate serve as a warning to others.

“Once a senator is suspended, the suspension dagger will be looking for the neck of any senator who wants to stand up and be another hero. That’s why you will see your opposition senators just pull back and chill,” Sani added.

This newspaper reported that the Senate, in a letter dated September 4, 2025, rejected Akpoti-Uduaghan’s notification of her intention to resume plenary. The letter, signed by the Acting Clerk to the National Assembly, Dr. Yahaya Danzaria, stated that her six-month suspension, which began on March 6, 2025, remains in effect until the Court of Appeal rules on her case.

Akpoti-Uduaghan, who represents Kogi Central, had argued that her suspension expired on September 4. But the Senate clarified that the sanction, imposed over alleged insubordination after she refused a seat change during plenary, will only be reviewed after the court’s judgment.