Uproar In Senate As Natasha Takes On Akpabio Over Change Of Seat

ABUJA – There was uproar in the Senate on Thursday over the changing of the seat of Senator Natasha Akpoti-Uduaghan, PDP Kogi Central, by the Senate President, Godswill Obong Akpabio.

Natasha, coming under Order of the Senate rule, had raised her hand for point of order but the Senate President ruled her out of order saying she was not recognized.

Immediately after the Senate President pronouncement, Natasha seized the microphone insisting that she must be recognized by the Senate President.

Akpabio then called on the Sergeant at Arm to quickly intervene and stop Natasha from disturbing the Senate in session.

The raucous exchange attracted the attention of other senators in the chamber including the Leader of the Senate, Senator Opeyemi Bamidele who quickly intervened and prevented the Sergeant at Arm from effecting the arrest of Akpoti-Uduaghan.

Akpabio, reacting to the incident, warned senators who want to be lawmakers to also remember to obey the laws.

“That was why in the wisdom of the framers of the standing orders of the Senate section 6 stated that the President of the Senate shall allocate a seat to each senator at any time. Section 6-1 and Section 6-2 also say a senator may only speak from the seat allocated to him or her.

“I want the public to realize that what we are doing here is not always what they think. We are a body governed by rules and then the constitution of the Federal Republic of Nigeria.

“So my ruling on this issue is, please distinguish senators, do not feel offended. Let us continue to focus on the business that brought us here, which is the Nigerian people; to provide dividends of democracy to them and move this country forward,” he said.

Senator Sunday Karimi (APC) Kogi West, who felt slighted by Senator Natasha’s behaviour in the chamber came also under Order 10 of Senate Rule and called for an apology from her, for her unruly behaviour especially towards him and other Senators in the chamber.

“When I came in this morning, the first person that came to me about change of seats was Senator Natasha she complained that her seat had been allocated to somebody else. I said, I don’t even know about this. I don’t even know what you are talking about, but before you know, sir, Senator Natasha shouted my name all over the place. I’m sure my name is in the media for negative reasons today.

“By my upbringing, I will not shout at any woman. So, I didn’t reply her. I kept quiet. I want to say my privilege has been breached and that shouldn’t be in an assembly of this nature. We don’t need to blackmail ourselves,” he said.

Similarly, Senator Jibrin Isa, (APC, Kogi East) said the recent movement of the senators is attributable mainly to the defection of Senator Ned Nwoko and as a result of that, there was a need to reallocate the seats accordingly.

“So the Senate president did what was expected of him but the reaction from my colleague Senator from Kogi State this morning is uncomfortable. I want to sincerely apologize on behalf of the Kogi Senators to the Senate President and the entire Senate that this will not repeat itself again under any other scenario. I’m going to counsel her. This is the Senate, we are guided by the laws and everybody is subjected or should be subjected to the orders here.

“I want to apologize to the entire members of the Senate present today that you should please allow this case to die here. We don’t want you to escalate it to the invocation of any order that will be applicable under this scenario,” he said.