The Federal High Court sitting in Abuja on Friday found Senator Natasha Akpoti-Uduaghan, representing Kogi Central, guilty of contempt of court.
In a ruling delivered by Justice Binta Nyako, the court held that Senator Akpoti-Uduaghan violated its directive by publishing a satirical apology addressed to Senate President Godswill Akpabio, despite a gag order that had been imposed on all parties involved in the matter.
The controversial apology, published on her Facebook page on April 7, was deemed by the court to have mocked the judicial process.
As a consequence, Justice Nyako ordered the senator to issue a formal apology to the court within seven days. The apology is to be published in two national newspapers as well as on her Facebook page.
Additionally, the court imposed a fine of N5 million on the senator, stating that the contempt occurred within the context of a civil proceeding.
Although the contempt proceedings were initiated by Senator Akpabio, the court declined to grant any personal relief in his favour.
Following the ruling on the contempt charge, the court proceeded to deliver judgment on Senator Akpoti-Uduaghan’s challenge to her six-month suspension by the Senate.
