by Lovely Onohwakpor
Fresh Tension in Senate as Natasha Akpoti-Uduaghan Confronts Committee Chair Over Meeting Exclusion
A disagreement erupted at the National Assembly complex when Natasha Akpoti-Uduaghan blocked access to the office of a fellow senator, protesting what she described as her exclusion from a committee session she belongs to.
Read also: Senator Natasha Akpoti‑Uduaghan Blocked from Entering National Assembly Despite Court Ruling
The disputed meeting was the budget defence of the North-Central Development Commission, held before the Senate Committee overseeing the commission and chaired by Titus Zam. The commission serves six North-Central states — Kogi, Benue, Plateau, Niger, Kwara, and Nasarawa.
The session reportedly began around 10 a.m. and ended before 11 a.m., with committee members expressing satisfaction with the commission’s budget proposal. Senator Akpoti-Uduaghan arrived shortly after the meeting had concluded and proceeded to the chairman’s office to protest.
Sources said she was initially denied direct access to the chairman due to the heated tone of her complaints within the office area. Although she was allowed into the secretary’s office, she was prevented from entering the chairman’s main office, where Senator Zam was present at the time.
The situation escalated when the Kogi lawmaker instructed an aide to record the incident. One of the chairman’s aides blocked her path, prompting her to place a chair at the entrance and insist she would remain there until her concerns were addressed.
Tensions briefly intensified when an aide to Senator Akpoti-Uduaghan allegedly slapped the committee secretary during an argument over recording and sharing the incident online, leading to a short scuffle between aides from both camps.
The standoff lasted about ten minutes before Adeniyi Adegbonmire intervened, mediating the dispute and escorting Senator Akpoti-Uduaghan away from the scene to allow tempers to cool.
Previous Incidents
The latest confrontation marks the second public disagreement involving the Kogi Central senator in recent weeks. She previously walked out of a Senate Committee on Mines and Steel Development meeting following a verbal exchange with committee chairman Patrick Ndubueze during a budget session attended by Shuaibu Audu. The disagreement reportedly centered on questions concerning the state of the Ajaokuta Steel Company.
In a separate development last year, Senator Akpoti-Uduaghan was suspended for six months following a dispute over seating arrangements during plenary.
The latest incident highlights ongoing tensions within committee proceedings and raises fresh attention on conduct and coordination during legislative sessions at the National Assembly.
