A Senior Advocate of Nigeria, Ebun-Olu Adegboruwa, has said that the Senate overreached itself by preventing Natasha Akpoti-Uduaghan from resuming her legislative functions.

He stated that the Kogi senator was suspended for a period of six months, and preventing her from resuming would effectively extend the suspension without a valid resolution from the upper chamber.

He said, "I think the Senate is overreaching itself with this position. First, the suspension of the Senator was for six months certain, being limited by time. Once the six months expire, she should be allowed to resume in the Senate automatically.

"Failure to allow her to resume is indirectly extending the suspension beyond six months, without a valid resolution of the Senate to that effect. There is no such resolution at the moment. The case pending in court cannot be used as a reason to extend her suspension illegally.

"Second, the court case being referred to relates to the six-month suspension, questioning its validity and constitutionality. The appeal arising from that case is also limited in scope to the six-month suspension. Anything to the contrary will portray the Senate as vindictive and petty.

"Third, the trial court pointed out that the period of suspension should not exceed the usual sitting days of the Senate for a session. To refuse her resumption after the six-month period would make the suspension indefinite.

"Since this matter relates to the rights and privileges of a whole constituency comprising millions of voters, the Senate should do the needful by allowing Senator Natasha to resume forthwith.

"She has already served the six months in full, and any determination by the court can only relate to the validity of the suspension and her entitlements. However, the sessions of the Senate she missed due to her suspension cannot be reversed forever. In essence, the purpose of the suspension having been fulfilled, no useful purpose will be served by denying her the right to resume her duties as a Senator."