A dramatic confrontation unfolded in the Senate on Thursday as Senate President Godswill Akpabio and Senator Natasha Akpoti-Uduaghan (PDP, Kogi Central) clashed over a seating arrangement dispute.
The altercation began when Senator Natasha discovered that her seat had been reassigned upon resumption of the session.
Refusing to comply with the new arrangement, she challenged the decision, sparking a heated exchange.
Tahir Monguno, Chief Whip raised a point of order, referencing sections of the Senate rule book to justify the reassignment.
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He stated that the changes were necessary due to a shift in the Senate’s composition following the movement of some opposition members to the majority wing.
According to Monguno, such adjustments fall within the constitutional prerogative of the Senate President.
“Failure to comply with the new seating arrangement,” Monguno warned, “could lead to penalties, including being barred from participating in Senate discussions.”
Quoting Senate rules, Monguno further emphasized, “Any senator who refuses to comply with a seat reassignment will not be recognized or allowed to contribute to discussions.”
Upholding Monguno’s position, Akpabio 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.
Unrelenting, she protested loudly, directly confronting 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 night-club incidence, you have deliberately silenced my voice.
“My bills have not been able to scale through to second reading.
“I am not afraid of being silenced, but I will do so in honour.”
She added, “As a senator duly elected by my people, I chose to remain on this seat, come what may.
“The worst you can do is to suspend me from this sitting and that will not stop me from contributing my quota to my constituency, the Senate and Nigeria as a whole.”
Pointing her finger at Akpabio, she said, “Mr Senate President, I have taken a lot from you.
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“If you don’t want me to speak publicly, I will let the whole world know how you have discriminated against me, maligned me, dehumanized me.
“Your choice of words have embarrassed me, Mr President, do what you may, I will not leave this seat.”
As she continued voicing her objections, Akpabio instructed the Sergeant-at-Arms to intervene.
He said, “Please take her out, so that we can continue with today’s activities.”
However, instead of removing her, the Sergeant-at-Arms merely stood by as Natasha refused to vacate her previous seat.
Coming under Order 42, Senator Isah Jibrin (APC, Kogi East), the most senior senator from Kogi State, attempted to mediate, offering an apology on behalf of Natasha.
“What you did in terms of the seating arrangement is within your power, and the reasons for it are genuine,” Jibrin acknowledged.
“We are here guided by law, and everyone must be subject to the rule. On behalf of the senators from Kogi State, we plead with you to allow us to guide her and not escalate the matter further.”
Senator Sunday Karimi (APC, Kogi West) also expressed his displeasure over the incident. “When I came in this morning, the first person who approached me about a seat change was Senator Samson Ekong. I told him to be patient. I wasn’t even aware of the arrangement,” Karimi recounted.
She said, “But before I knew it, Senator Natasha was shouting my name all over the place. My name is in the media today for negative reasons. My upbringing does not allow me to shout at a woman, so I remained silent. But I want to say that my privilege has been breached, and that should not happen in an assembly like this.”
He added, “We extended a hand of fellowship to her when she joined. In fact, we lobbied intensely to ensure that the chairmanship position initially allocated to Senator Ohere was given to her.
“We know what we did to make that happen. So, when she shouted my name in a negative manner, I couldn’t just let it go. I kept calm, but I believe she should apologize for her behavior.”
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In response, Akpabio acknowledged Karimi’s grievance, saying, “Distinguished Senator Karimi, I can see that you feel deeply hurt by what transpired this morning. This is the Nigerian Senate, where accomplished and mature individuals are gathered.”
Quoting Senate rules, he added, “Any senator may rise at any time to speak on a matter of privilege and move a motion declaring that a contempt or breach of privilege has been committed. The matter may then be referred to the Committee on Ethics and Privileges or the Committee of the Whole.”
Appealing for restraint, Akpabio urged, “Let us not take this further by referring it to the Committee of the Whole. Let us focus on why we were elected. The matter will be addressed at the appropriate time. I appeal to you to temper justice with mercy and forgive. Insults are part of leadership.”
Reiterating the Senate’s authority on seating arrangements, Akpabio clarified, “I want the public to understand that we are a legislative body with defined rules. According to Section 6.1 of the Standing Orders of the Senate, the President of the Senate shall allocate a seat to each senator. Section 6.2 states that a senator may only speak from the seat allocated to them, and the President of the Senate may reassign seats from time to time.”
“What happened today,” Akpabio continued, “was not arbitrary. It was a necessary adjustment, and it will continue to happen as the composition of the Senate changes. If you want to be a lawmaker, you must be prepared to abide by the law.”
Concluding his ruling, Akpabio called for unity and focus. “Please, Senator, do not take offense. Let us return to the business that brought us here—serving the Nigerian people and ensuring the government delivers dividends to our citizens.”
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