The Senate has summoned Senator Natasha Akpoti-Uduaghan to appear before its Committee on Ethics, Privileges, and Public Petitions following a dispute with Senate President Godswill Akpabio over her seating arrangement.
The incident occurred during a plenary session on 20th February, when Senator Akpoti-Uduaghan, representing Kogi Central, raised concerns over her reassignment to a less prominent seat without prior notice.
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She viewed the move as an attempt to sideline her and limit her contributions to legislative debates.
Speaking in an interview with Human Rights Radio, she stated, “Changing my seat was just a chance of silencing or alienating me from being seen.”
The situation escalated when Senate President Akpabio ordered the Sergeant-at-Arms to remove her from the chamber after she protested the seating change.
In response, she invoked Order 10 of the Senate’s rules, which allows a senator to refer a matter to the ethics and privileges committee instead of facing immediate suspension.
“I had to invoke that order… If I had not done that, I would have been suspended on the floor,” she explained.
Senator Akpoti-Uduaghan further alleged that she has faced continuous harassment and exclusion from key international engagements since joining the Senate.
“A lot of my privileges have been denied. I have been pulled out from many international activities that I was part of,” she claimed.
The Senate’s decision to refer the matter to the ethics committee highlights growing internal tensions within the legislative body.
The committee is expected to review the incident and make recommendations on the appropriate course of action.
Natasha sues Akpabio for defamation
Senator Akpoti-Uduaghan has filed a defamation lawsuit against Senate President Godswill Akpabio over alleged derogatory remarks made about her.
The dispute stems from a recent Senate seating reshuffle, triggered by opposition members defecting to the majority wing.
Akpoti-Uduaghan resisted her reassignment to a less visible seat, arguing that it was an attempt to sideline her. This led to a confrontation between her and the Senate President.
In a suit filed before the Federal Capital Territory High Court on 25th February 2025, Akpoti-Uduaghan named the President of the Senate, the Federal Republic of Nigeria, and the Senior Legislative Aide to the Senate President, Mfon Patrick as the first, second, and third defendants, respectively.
Her lawyer, Victor Giwa, argued that a Facebook post made by Mfon Patrick, allegedly at Akpabio’s prompting, was defamatory.
The post, titled “Is the Local Content Committee of the Senate Natasha’s Birthright?”, included a statement implying that Akpoti-Uduaghan viewed legislative duties as merely an opportunity for “pancaking her face and wearing transparent outfits to the chambers.”
Giwa described the statement as”defamatory, provocative, and disparaging,”stating that it lowered Akpoti-Uduaghan’s reputation in the eyes of her colleagues and the public.
The lawsuit seeks a declaration that the statement was intended to cause “public opprobrium and disaffection”toward the senator.
Additionally, Akpoti-Uduaghan is seeking a perpetual injunction restraining the defendants and their associates from making further defamatory statements against her on any platform.
She also demands N100 billion in general damages and N300 million to cover litigation costs.
The case underscores escalating tensions within the Senate, as Akpoti-Uduaghan challenges what she perceives as a deliberate attempt to undermine her political standing.