Senator Akpoti-Uduaghan has written to the Senate to resume on July 15, while also appealing a contempt conviction that ordered her to pay a fine of N5 million and tender a public apology in two national dailies and on her Facebook page. The senator is challenging the jurisdiction of the trial court to entertain the alleged contempt, which was committed outside the court’s proceedings.
In her appeal, Akpoti-Uduaghan argued that the trial court erred in law when it assumed jurisdiction and entertained the motion dated May 7, 2025, agitating an alleged contempt committed on her Facebook page against her own orders made on April 4, 2025. She claimed that the proper procedure for contempt committed outside the court’s proceedings is to proceed against the alleged contemnor by regular criminal trial before another judge.
The senator also argued that the trial court breached her right to fair hearing by adopting a wrong procedure in adjudging her liable for contempt. She claimed that the court’s decision to impose a fine of N5 million and order a public apology was erroneous and perverse. Akpoti-Uduaghan further submitted that the satirical apology she made was unrelated to the subject matter of the suit and therefore, she was not liable for contempt.
The appeal is predicated on six grounds, including that the trial court lacked jurisdiction to entertain the alleged contempt, and that the court’s decision was based on a wrong procedure. Akpoti-Uduaghan is seeking an order declaring that the trial court lacked the requisite jurisdiction to entertain the alleged contempt, and an order setting aside the conviction and fine imposed on her.
The senator’s appeal highlights the complexities of contempt proceedings and the importance of following proper procedures in such cases. The outcome of the appeal will likely have significant implications for Akpoti-Uduaghan and the Senate.
