“Not a Dime Paid!”: Senior Lawyers Cry Out as Senate Refuses to Pay Legal Fees for Senator Natasha Case
(By The Political Razzmatazz Editorial Team | Legal & Parliamentary Updates)
A serious drama has erupted between the National Assembly and top legal practitioners in Nigeria. A consortium of Senior Advocates of Nigeria (SANs), led by prominent lawyer Chief Chikaosolu Ojukwu, has publicly called out the Nigerian Senate and Senate President Godswill Akpabio for failing to pay their professional legal fees.
The senior lawyers successfully defended the Senate and its leadership in a high-profile court case filed by Kogi Central Senator, Natasha Akpoti-Uduaghan. However, months after winning the case at both the Federal High Court and the Court of Appeal, the legal team says it has received zero payment for its work.
The Legal Battle Against Senator Natasha
The dispute stems from Suit No. FHC/ABJ/CS/384/2025, filed by Senator Natasha Akpoti-Uduaghan. The suit challenged several top authorities, including:
- The Clerk of the National Assembly
- The Senate of the Federal Republic of Nigeria
- The President of the Senate, Senator Godswill Akpabio
- The Chairman of the Senate Committee on Ethics, Privileges, and Public Petitions, Senator Neda Imasuen
To protect the Senate’s position, the Office of the Senate President hired Chief Chikaosolu Ojukwu, SAN, and Senior Advocate Paul Dauda to lead the defence.
“I Put My Life into This” — Chief Ojukwu Speaks Out
Speaking out about the situation, Chief Ojukwu expressed deep disappointment over how the Senate has handled their payment after months of intensive legal work.
“I put my life and industry into this since February, not a dime was paid. The Natasha case started, and the Senate briefed us to handle the matter. I represented the Senate at the High Court and also handled the appeal,” Ojukwu stated.
He explained how he was passed back and forth between administrative offices when asking for his payment:
“After the case ended, I submitted my bill to the Senate President. Obviously, it was forwarded to the Clerk. The Clerk then asked us to provide the letter of instruction, which I did. After that, I received another letter directing me to approach the Senate President or whoever had briefed me for payment. That’s essentially what happened.”
When asked about the exact amount the Senate owes his team, Chief Ojukwu declined to mention figures, stating simply that the primary issue is that the Senate has refused to pay for services rendered.
Documentary Proof of Engagement
Despite the delay in payment, documents confirm that Ojukwu’s law firm was officially hired by the Senate leadership.
An official letter dated March 14, 2025, on the letterhead of the Office of the President of the Senate and signed by the Chief of Staff, Chinedu Francis Akubueze, formally instructed Ojukwu Chikaosolu & Co. to take over the defence of the Senate in court. The letter explicitly requested the firm to handle the representation and submit their professional fees.
Pre-Action Notice Served: Court Battle Looms
Having exhausted internal steps to collect their fees, Chief Ojukwu confirmed that he has taken the first official step toward suing the Senate.
In line with the Legislative Houses (Powers and Privileges) Act, the law firm has served a formal pre-action notice to the Clerk of the National Assembly, giving the Senate a mandatory three-month window to settle the debt before a full lawsuit is filed.
Over to You
Is it right for the highest lawmaking body in the country to delay or refuse payment to lawyers who defended it in court?
Share your thoughts in the comments section below!