Justice Obiora Egwuatu of the Federal High Court in Abuja has excused himself from handling the legal battle involving suspended Senator Natasha Akpoti-Uduaghan.
The decision, announced on Tuesday, follows a petition from Senate President Godswill Akpabio, which raised concerns over the judge’s neutrality.
Instead of proceeding with the scheduled hearing, Justice Egwuatu ruled that the case file be transferred to the Chief Judge for reassignment.
Previously, on March 4, he had issued an interim injunction restraining the Senate Committee on Ethics, Privileges, and Public Petitions from disciplining Akpoti-Uduaghan over allegations of misconduct.
He also ordered the defendants to justify within 72 hours why an injunction should not be issued to halt the proceedings.
However, the Senate Committee ignored the court’s order and proceeded with its investigation, ultimately suspending Akpoti-Uduaghan for six months.
Justice Egwuatu later revised his ruling, removing the restriction that prevented the Senate from taking action while the case was ongoing.
Akpabio’s legal representatives, led by senior lawyer Kehinde Ogunwumiju (SAN), had challenged the court’s authority to interfere in Senate proceedings, a dispute that may have contributed to Justice Egwuatu’s withdrawal from the case.