Former nominated Senator Gloria Orwoba was denied access to the Senate on Wednesday, August 27, despite having court-issued reinstatement orders. Orwoba arrived at Parliament ready to resume her duties, but she was blocked at the entrance by Senate security officers. In a video circulating online, Orwoba was heard challenging the officers to arrest her, asserting that she had returned to the Senate legally following a tribunal ruling in her favor.
I am here to go back to work as per the court’s instructions and judgments that came out. In fact, I have my badge and everything… I am just coming to work,
Gloria OrwobaShe added that she remains the sitting nominated senator for the United Democratic Alliance (UDA) unless the courts state otherwise. According to her, attempts by the party to block her re-entry had failed.
Tribunal Ruling in Orwoba’s Favor
On August 20 2025, the Political Parties Disputes Tribunal (PPDT) nullified Orwoba’s expulsion from UDA, citing significant procedural irregularities in how the disciplinary process was handled. The tribunal, chaired by Desma Nungo, found that the party’s internal process violated key principles of natural justice and due process, as the tribunal noted that there was no fair opportunity for hearing and that the complainant was not furnished with the impugned decision.
The tribunal went ahead to highlight that:
- The complaint letter dated May 8 was unsigned and undated.
- There was no evidence that the expulsion decision was ever served to Orwoba.
As a result, the tribunal concluded that these failures rendered the process unlawful and unfair, directly undermining the credibility of the UDA disciplinary committee.
Political Allegations and Legal Disputes
Orwoba had been previously expelled from UDA over alleged disloyalty—accusations she has repeatedly dismissed as politically motivated. The UDA party maintained that her expulsion was valid and further argued before the tribunal that the matter was sub judice, citing an earlier High Court petition filed by Orwoba herself. However, the tribunal rejected this defense, stating that no active parallel legal proceedings were ongoing at the time of its ruling.
Conclusion
Despite winning her case at the tribunal, Orwoba’s return to the Senate has hit a new obstacle—enforcement. As of now, she remains physically barred from accessing her office and the Senate chambers. Whether Parliament will honor the PPDT ruling and reinstate her remains unclear, setting the stage for a potential legal or political showdown in the coming days.
