‘N’assembly not for content creation’ — senate tackles Natasha over clash with Akpabio

Yemi Adaramodu, spokesperson of the senate, has faulted Natasha Akpoti-Uduaghan, lawmaker representing Kogi central, for sparring with Senate President Godswill Akpabio over seat allocation. 

On Thursday, Akpoti-Uduaghan declined her reassigned seat, invoking Order 10 of the senate standing rules to safeguard her privileges.

The disagreement began when Akpoti-Uduaghan’s seat was reassigned after some opposition members defected to the ruling party.

However, the Kogi lawmaker resisted the reshuffle and accused the leadership of attempting to silence her.

“I don’t care if I am silenced. I am not afraid of you. You have denied me my privilege,” she hollered at the senate president.

As tempers flared amid a shouting match, Akpabio ordered the sergeant-at-arms to eject the female senator from the chamber. However, a few lawmakers intervened to defuse the situation.

Reacting to the hubbub in an interview on Channels Television’s Sunrise Daily, Adaramodu said the national assembly is not a platform for entertainment.

He also addressed Akpoti-Uduaghan’s claims of being sidelined and bullied.

“What we are saying is that the national assembly is not for content creation or entertainment. National assembly is for serious business,” he said.

“If she is talking about being bullied or sidelined, as a first-timer, she even has three committees that she was appointed as chairperson.

“You are entitled to chair only one committee but she is in charge of foreign affairs, NGOs now.”

The senate spokesperson added that the upper legislative chamber would not revisit the drama after Isah Jubril, a Kogi lawmaker, apologised on Akpoti-Uduaghan’s behalf.

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