A legal expert has criticised suspended Senator Natasha Akpoti-Uduaghan for attempting to enforce a court judgment which she has already appealed, describing her actions as contradictory and unlawful.
Senior legal practitioner, Ken Harries, made the remark in reaction to Akpoti-Uduaghan’s appearance at the National Assembly complex on Tuesday, where she claimed to be enforcing a Federal High Court judgment.
The judgment, delivered on 4 July by a Federal High Court in Abuja, is currently under appeal by the senator. Despite this, she led a group to the National Assembly, insisting she was there to reclaim her seat.
“In my many years in legal practice, I’ve never seen such disregard for due process,” Harries told reporters. “How can you appeal a judgment and still turn around to enforce it? That’s like eating your cake and expecting to still have it.”
Harries further condemned what he termed an invasion of the National Assembly, questioning the legality and propriety of her actions.
“She stormed the complex with a group of unruly individuals, creating a crisis atmosphere in the name of enforcing a judgment. That’s not how the law works,” he said.
According to Harries, enforcement of a court judgment follows a clear legal process and cannot be done through self-help or public showmanship.
He noted that Akpoti-Uduaghan’s appeal, filed shortly after the judgment, seeks to overturn the same decision she now claims to be implementing.
“Which judgment is she trying to enforce? The one she has asked the Court of Appeal to throw out? The contradiction is baffling,” Harries stated.
He also pointed out that the court had imposed certain conditions on the senator, including a N5 million payment and a public apology through two national dailies and her Facebook page.
“Has she complied with those orders?” Harries asked. “If not, what moral standing does she have to accuse the Senate leadership of ignoring the court?”
He urged Akpoti-Uduaghan’s legal team to advise her appropriately, warning that resorting to unlawful actions undermines both her credibility and the rule of law. “Whoever goes to equity must come with clean hands,” he added.
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