On February 20, Senator Natasha Akpoti-Uduaghan was seen on the floor of the Senate, visibly angry. What happened was that her seat was reassigned.
Senator Natasha refused to accept the reassignment of her seat and engaged in a heated exchange with Senate President Godswill Akpabio.
At this point, Senate Chief Whip, Tahir Monguno raised a point of order, citing sections of the Senate rulebook to justify the reassignment of seats.
Monguno explained that the changes were necessary due to shifts in the Senate’s composition, following the defection of some opposition members to the majority wing.
According to him, such adjustments fell within the constitutional prerogative of the Senate President, and non-compliance could result in penalties, including exclusion from Senate discussions.
“Any Senator who refuses to comply with a seat reassignment will not be recognised or allowed to contribute to discussions,” Monguno emphasised, referencing Senate rules.
Akpabio upheld Monguno’s position and ruled in favour of the order.
However, when Senator Natasha raised her hand to speak, she was denied recognition for not addressing the chamber from her newly assigned seat.
This appeared to frustrate the Senator, who, visibly agitated, directly confronted the Senate President.
“I don’t care if I am silenced; I am not afraid. You have denied me my privilege.
“Mr Senate President, ever since the nightclub incident, you have deliberately silenced my voice. My bills have not progressed beyond the second reading.
“I am not afraid of being silenced, but I will do so with honour. As a senator duly elected by my people, I choose to remain in this seat, come what may.
“The worst you can do is suspend me from this sitting, but that will not stop me from contributing my quota to my constituency, the Senate, and Nigeria as a whole,” she declared.
She added, “Mr Senate President, I have taken a lot from you”.
The matter was further aggravated when Senator Natasha was featured in a phone-in programme on Human Rights Radio and another programme on Arive TV.
Natasha, who had previously threatened to reveal more details, accused Akpabio of deliberately punishing her for rejecting his alleged sexual advances.
She claimed that during a visit to Akpabio’s residence in Akwa Ibom on December 8, 2023, he made inappropriate advances towards her in the presence of her husband.
Furthermore, she alleged that on another occasion, Akpabio insinuated that she should “take care of him” if she wanted her motions to receive favourable consideration in the Senate.
In response, Senate Deputy Chief Whip Onyekachi Nwebonyi strongly defended the Senate President, dismissing the allegations as politically motivated and an attempt to evade disciplinary action.
In a statement, Nwebonyi described Natasha’s claims as unsubstantiated and conveniently timed to divert attention from ongoing disciplinary proceedings against her.
“If she truly believed she was being victimised due to an alleged harassment incident, the appropriate platform to raise such concerns would have been the Senate itself, not a television interview.
“The Senate operates based on reason and law, not sentiment and drama,” he said.
He also pointed out that Natasha was appointed Chairperson of the Senate Committee on Local Content in November 2023, prior to the alleged incident in Akwa Ibom.
“If she had truly been a victim, why would the Senate leadership, under the same Akpabio, assign her such a critical leadership role?” he queried.
Akpabio’s media consultant, Kenny Okulogbo, also dismissed the allegations as “a collection of lies,” arguing that Natasha was merely upset about being removed as Chairperson of the Senate Committee on Local Content.
“All that Senator Natasha said is a collection of lies. She is simply angry because she was removed as Chairperson of the Senate Committee on Local Content,” Okulogbo said.
Whether she was angered by the harassment or by the removal from the committee on local content, the Senate was not okay with how the Kogi Central Senator presented her case and handled the situation on the floor of the Senate.
Irked by her action, Senate’s Spokesperson, Senator Yemi Adaramodu, coming under Order 1(b) and 10, condemned what he described as Natasha’s “extreme intransigence” during the Senate session on February 20.
“From that Thursday, the media was awash with this issue and I had to work on mending the perception of the 10th Senate.
“The Senate is not a platform for content creation but a place for lawmaking and oversight functions,” Senator Adaramodu said.
Adaramodu urged the Senate leadership to enforce discipline, warning that ‘where there is sin, there must be penalty’.
“This chamber is not a place for theatrics or social media content creation. We are here to legislate, advocate for our constituents and provide oversight over MDAs, not to engage in media dramatisation,” he said.
Senator Jimoh Ibrahim also supported the motion, emphasising the importance of maintaining order and decorum in the Senate.
Ibrahim urged all Senators to respect the institution’s guiding rules, comparing the Standing Orders to the Bible and Quran for lawmakers.
Also, the Senate Leader, Senator Opeyemi Bamidele, moved a motion for the disciplinary review, affirming the senate’s commitment to its rules and internal order.
According to him, there is no one who does not have an opinion on this issue, but we are unified by our rules.
“Under our watch, we will not allow this institution to be discredited beyond what we inherited. Our integrity is non-negotiable,” he said.
Bamidele dismissed claims that the dispute was rooted in gender bias or discrimination, citing examples of senior senators who had accepted seat changes without protest.
Contributing, the Senate Minority Leader, Sen. Abba Moro, described the incident as “an avoidable drama” and apologised on behalf of Natasha.
He urged the senate to focus on its legislative responsibilities, while allowing the ethics committee to handle the matter.
Responding, President of the Senate, Godswill Akpabio, directed the committee on ethics and privileges to review the entire incident and report back to the chamber in two weeks.
According to Akpabio, the senate rules allow members to sit anywhere, but that contributions must be made from their designated seats.
He said that lack of familiarity with the senate procedures might have contributed to the altercation.
“The first day she (Natasha) was sworn in, she stood up to contribute and I was worried if she had even read the rule book.
“There is nothing wrong with being vibrant but everything is wrong with disobeying procedures,” he said.
Citing Order 66(2) and Section 55 of Senate rules, he underscored the need for senators to conduct themselves with decorum, including prohibitions on chewing gum, drinking water or being disruptive during sittings.
“The rules empower the senate president to suspend a senator for infractions for, at least, 14 days. It’s not me who made the rules; it’s in the rule book,” Akpabio said.
The motion was subsequently referred to the Committee on Ethics, Code of Conduct and Public Petitions, chaired by Labour Party Senator Neda Imasuen.
It was that case the ethics committee presented its recommendations today that led to the suspension of Senator Natasha.
Though the Federal High Court in Abuja issued an order restraining the committee from investigating Natasha, the committee sat and came up with the recommendations for her suspension and demanded that she tender an apology in writing to the Senate.
The committee argued that the judiciary does not have powers to interfere in the internal affairs of the legislature.
Natasha herself too had submitted a petition against Senator Akpabio to the Senate, alleging sexual harassment et al. As though not familiar with the rules of the Senate as alleged, Senator Natasha’s petition fell flat.
Natasha had to present another petition today, which was referred to the ethics committee to report back in four (4) months.
Meanwhile, Senator Natasha had filed a N100 billion case in court against Akpabio’s aide, with the Senate President joined in the lawsuit.
As tensions escalated, the spouses of both public figures became involved, each stepping forward to defend their partner.
Ekaette Unoma Akpabio, wife of the Senate President, filed multiple legal actions against Natasha, demanding N250 billion in damages for alleged defamation against her husband.
Dismissing the allegations, Ekaette insisted that her husband was a disciplined individual and described the accusations as “false and damaging”.
In a fundamental rights suit filed at the Federal Capital Territory (FCT) High Court, she argued that the accusations had caused her and her children “emotional and psychological distress”.
She requested a restraining order preventing Natasha from making further “spiteful” statements.
In response, Natasha urged Ekaette to refrain from intervening and allow her husband to defend himself.
In a letter dated March 1, addressed to Mrs Akpabio through her lawyer, Victor Giwa, Natasha advised her to step back to protect her well-being and that of her family.
Meanwhile, her husband, Emmanuel Uduaghan, also weighed in, stating that his wife had confided in him about her interactions with the Senate President.
“I handled the situation with maturity and respect, as I consider Akpabio a family friend.
“I personally met with the Senate President and respectfully urged him to treat my wife with the respect she deserves while honouring our friendship. We reached an understanding to resolve the matter amicably,” he said.
However, he noted that in spite of their agreement, his wife continued to experience harassment, indicating that the issue remained unresolved.
Nonetheless, he expressed unwavering trust in his wife, describing her as his greatest source of joy.
Many have questioned why Natasha did not make her sexual allegation case known before the day her seat was reassigned in the Senate
Many have also argued that whether her claim is false or true, Akpabio should not have chaired the proceedings that led to the suspension of Natasha.
Senator Natasha joined the Senate in October 2023 following her victory at the Court of Appeal to represent Kogi Central Senatorial District.
