Senate President Godswill Akpabio has described senators who reclaim their electoral mandates through court rulings as a challenge to the Senate’s cohesion, following a heated controversy involving Senator Natasha Akpoti-Uduaghan.
Akpabio made the remark on Tuesday while announcing that Akpoti-Uduaghan, representing Kogi Central, will face the Senate’s disciplinary panel over her protest against the reallocation of her seat in the chamber.
The dispute began when Akpoti-Uduaghan’s seat was moved from the minority section to the last row without her consent — a change she openly resisted, leading to claims of violating Senate rules.
Addressing the issue, Akpabio ordered the National Assembly management to organize periodic orientation sessions for senators who join the chamber mid-term.
“The management of the National Assembly is hereby ordered to organize periodic orientation, particularly for senators who are midstreamers — those who came midstream and did not start when their colleagues did,” Akpabio said.
He also recalled Akpoti-Uduaghan’s first day in the chamber, stating, “I remember that this particular senator, on the day she was sworn in, raised her hand to speak. I was scared, but I had to recognize her because we had just given her the rule book.”
The Senate disciplinary panel will investigate the incident and report back to the chamber with its findings.
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