Tensions flared in a recent Senate session after Senator Natasha Akpoti-Uduaghan of Kogi Central had a confrontation with Senate President Godswill Akpabio over an unexpected change to her seating arrangement.
The altercation has sparked widespread discussions on parliamentary etiquette and how lawmakers are treated within Nigeria’s legislative framework.
The issue arose when Senator Akpoti-Uduaghan noticed that her designated seat had been changed without any prior notice.
Citing Order 10 of the Senate Standing Rules, which safeguards members’ privileges, she refused to accept the new seat assignment and openly challenged the move during the plenary session.
The disagreement quickly escalated, prompting Senate President Akpabio to instruct security officials to remove her from the chamber. However, intervention from fellow senators helped defuse the situation before it worsened.
In response to the incident, Senate spokesperson Yemi Adaramodu criticized Akpoti-Uduaghan’s actions, asserting that the National Assembly is a serious legislative body and not a platform for theatrics. “The National Assembly is not for content creation in entertainment.
The National Assembly is for serious business,” Adaramodu remarked. He also dismissed allegations of mistreatment, emphasizing that despite being a first-term senator, Akpoti-Uduaghan holds significant committee roles, including her position as Chairperson of the Committee on Non-Governmental Organizations.
Following the confrontation, discussions emerged regarding potential disciplinary actions. Adaramodu disclosed that Senator Isah Jibrin, another lawmaker from Kogi State, had apologized on Akpoti-Uduaghan’s behalf, leading the Senate to decide against any further punitive measures.
“The Senate is not a platform for content creation but a place for lawmaking and oversight functions urging the leadership to enforce discipline.”
“Where there is sin, there must be a penalty,” Adaramodu said. “The Senate as a whole has already accepted that tendered apology, so we are not going to revisit that,” he stated.
The incident has reignited debates about gender dynamics and respect within Nigeria’s legislative chambers.
Cynthia Mbamalu, the Director of Programmes at Yiaga Africa, criticized the handling of the situation, arguing that Akpoti-Uduaghan was not given a fair opportunity to present her concerns.
“I felt that in itself showed that there was little tolerance for the agitation she presented,” Mbamalu noted.
She also pointed out that in the past, male senators have engaged in similar or even more intense protests without facing the same level of pushback.
Senator Akpoti-Uduaghan has stood by her actions, insisting that her response was within the Senate’s established rules.
She invoked Order 10, which allows a senator to escalate disputes to the Committee on Ethics and Privileges rather than being forced into compliance.
“I had to invoke that order, which was a right of every senator who felt their rights were being infringed upon,” she explained
