Legal Expert Petitions Tinubu, Security Chiefs Over Court Ruling Disqualifying Akpabio From Presiding As Senate President

Dr. Tonye Clinton Jaja, a prominent legislative law expert, has written an open letter to President Bola Ahmed Tinubu, calling for the immediate enforcement of a Federal High Court judgment that bars Senate President Godswill Akpabio from presiding over plenary sessions of the Nigerian Senate.

In the letter dated July 8, 2025, Dr. Jaja also copied top security and political stakeholders, including the National Security Adviser (NSA), the Director-General of the Department of State Services (DSS), the Inspector-General of Police (IGP), and all 109 Senators of the National Assembly.

Citing a judgment delivered by Justice Binta Nyako on July 4, 2025, Jaja emphasized that any legislation passed under Akpabio’s leadership from now until September would be considered “null and void.” The ruling found both Senator Akpabio and Senator Neda Imasuen in breach of Section 63 of the 1999 Constitution.

“The Senate President has not appealed the judgment. As such, he is legally unfit to preside over Senate proceedings until the conclusion of related legal matters in September,” Jaja wrote. He also revealed that Akpabio is a listed prosecution witness in an upcoming case involving Senator Natasha Akpoti-Uduaghan.

He urged the Senate to invoke Order 22 of its Standing Orders, 2023, to elect a President Pro Tempore who can act in Akpabio’s stead, thereby avoiding a legislative and constitutional breakdown.

Jaja warned of a growing paralysis in Nigeria’s legislative process, noting that since 2024, the Senate has failed to concur with 146 bills passed by the House of Representatives, in contravention of Section 53 of the Constitution. He revealed that proposals are already underway to amend the Constitution, allowing either legislative chamber to independently forward bills to the President for assent.

“This effort stems from the current gridlock, where the machinery of governance is held hostage by the inaction of one arm of the National Assembly,” he stated.

The development raises serious questions about the legal validity of the Senate’s leadership and highlights the need for urgent constitutional compliance to protect democratic governance.