Natasha Akpoti-Uduaghan absent from plenary after sitting arrangement protest

Kogi Central Senator Natasha Akpoti-Uduaghan was noticeably absent from Tuesday’s plenary session, days after she objected to a new sitting arrangement in the chamber.

However, it is unclear if her absence was in connection with the heated argument with the Senate President, Godswill Akpabio, over the change in her sitting position last Thursday.

The plenary started at about 12:10 p.m. and ended at about 3:00 p.m, The session was presided over by Mr Akpabio from the beginning to the end without a break.

Mrs Akpoti-Uduaghan’s absence from plenary is increasing speculation about potential disciplinary actions against her, with many watching closely to see how the Senate leadership handles the situation.

Background

The dispute began when Mrs Akpoti-Uduaghan, a member of the opposition Peoples Democratic Party (PDP), discovered that her seat had been moved from the second-to-last row of the minority section to the last row without prior notice or consent.

She opposed the change and insisted on occupying her previous seat, but the Senate leadership considered her action a violation of chamber rules.

Her refusal to comply prompted the Senate Chief Whip, Tahir Monguno, to cite Section 6(1) of the Senate Standing Rules, which grants the Senate President the authority to reassign seats when necessary.

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He justified the adjustment because the defections of opposition senators to the ruling All Progressives Congress (APC) had necessitated the changes.

Mr Monguno warned that failing to adhere to seating arrangements could lead to penalties, including being barred from participating in Senate discussions.

Mr Akpabio upheld Mr Monguno’s ruling, denying Mrs Akpoti-Uduaghan the opportunity to speak.

Despite this, she persisted, raising her hand in protest.

In response, Mr Akpabio muted her microphone and directed the Sergeant-at-Arms to remove her from the chamber.

Allegations of harassment and planned suspension

Following the altercation, Mrs Akpoti-Uduaghan granted a telephone interview to Berekete Family, a popular human rights radio station in Abuja, on Friday, where she alleged that the Senate leadership was planning to suspend her.

The Kogi senator claimed she had faced persistent harassment within the chamber and had been deliberately sidelined from key legislative activities.

She also claimed that she had recently been removed from her role as the chairperson of the Senate Committee on Local Content, allegedly due to biases against her. She said some lawmakers accused her of diverting resources intended for the Niger Delta to northern Nigeria.

Additionally, she explained that many of her privileges, including participation in international engagements, had been revoked.

Another senator responds

In response to her claims, the chairman of the Senate Committee on Gas, Agom Jarigbe, dismissed any connection between her removal from the Local Content Committee and the location of Mini LNG Plants in Ajaokuta, Kogi State.

He clarified that neither Mrs Akpoti-Uduaghan nor the Nigerian Content Development and Monitoring Board (NCDMB) influenced the selection of sites for the LNG projects.