Senate criticizes Natasha over seat allocation protest

The Nigerian Senate witnessed a tense moment on Thursday as Senator Natasha Akpoti-Uduaghan of Kogi Central refused to occupy the seat assigned to her, citing Senate Standing Rules that protect members’ privileges.

What started as a simple seating dispute quickly escalated, drawing the attention of Senate President Godswill Akpabio, who at one point ordered security to remove her from the chambers.

However, before the situation could spiral further, fellow lawmakers intervened, preventing what could have been an unprecedented scene in the red chamber.

By Friday, Senate spokesman Yemi Adaramodu weighed in, dismissing Natasha’s actions as unnecessary theatrics. Speaking on Channels Television’s Sunrise Daily, Adaramodu, who represents Ekiti South, criticized the senator’s approach.

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“The National Assembly is not for content creation or entertainment. It is for serious business,” he remarked, implying that the drama could have been avoided.

He also refuted Natasha’s claims of being sidelined or bullied, highlighting that despite being a first-time senator, she had been appointed to chair three committees—an unusual privilege in the Senate.

“You are entitled to only one committee as chairman, but she is in charge of Foreign Affairs and NGOs,” he pointed out.

Despite the heated exchange, the Senate has decided to move on from the incident. Adaramodu revealed that Kogi senator Isah Jubril had already apologized on Natasha’s behalf, and the upper chamber had accepted it, putting the matter to rest.

“The Senate as a whole has already accepted that tendered apology, so we are not going to revisit that,” he confirmed.

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