February 20, 2025
There was Tension on Thursday in the Senate after Senator Natasha Akpoti-Uduaghan clashed with the leadership over change in seating arrangement dispute.
It all began when Akpoti-Uduaghan’s seat was reassigned following a reshuffle prompted by opposition members moving to the majority wing due to recent deflection of Senator Ned Nwoko from PDP to APC.
However, Akpoti-Uduaghan insisted on her seat and refused to relocate.
Chief Whip, Senator Tahir Monguno, cited Senate rules to justify the change, explaining that seat adjustments were within the Senate President’s authority.
He also warned that non-compliance could lead to penalties, including exclusion from Senate debates.
Senate President Godswill Akpabio upheld Monguno’s order and denied Senator Akpoti-Uduaghan the floor when she attempted to speak from her old seat.
In protest, the Kogi lawmaker raised her voice, accusing the leadership of silencing her.
“I don’t care if I am silenced. I am not afraid of you. You have denied me my privilege,” she declared.
The standoff intensified when the Senate President directed the sergeant-at-arms to remove her.
However, interventions from fellow lawmakers restored calm, although Akpoti-Uduaghan remained firm in her refusal to move.
Meanwhile, President of the Senate, Godswill Akpabio declined calls by some of his colleagues to sanction the senator representing Kogi Central, Natasha Akpoti-Uduaghan for her behaviour during plenary.
Attempts by some senators to escalate the matter was resisted by Akpabio. Senator Sunday Karimi (Kogi West), urged the Senate President to put in motion the process of sanctioning Senator Natasha, but Akpabio declined.
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At a point, Akpabio threatened to have her sent out of the chamber if she continued with the verbal assault. Sanity eventually prevailed as the lawmaker finally took her new seat.
Also, another senator from Kogi East, Jibrin Isah, insisted that Natasha must be made to apologise to Akpabio and the entire Senate for her unruly behaviour.
When it was obvious that Akpabio was not interested in escalating the matter, Senator Isah apologised on her behalf and on behalf of the Kogi caucus in the Senate.
Akpabio, who tried to maintain his equanimity through Natasha’s rage, urged his colleagues to let the matter rest so that senators can concentrate on the job they were elected to do.
When the heat subsided, the Senate President explained that it was the recent defection of Senator Ned Nwoko from PDP to APC that caused the minor change in seating positions.
Natasha’s outburst might not be unconnected with how she was reportedly addressed during plenary sometime in 2024, when Senator Akpabio who was presiding, asked her to comport herself, reminding her that the Senate chamber wasn’t a nightclub.
Although Senator Akpabio had since apologised to the female senator, recalling the incident in today’s encounter showed that she may not have gotten over it.
