Senator Natasha, Akpabio clash over seating arrangement
There was palpable tension during plenary on Monday as a disagreement over seating arrangements led to a heated exchange between Senator Natasha Akpoti-Uduaghan and the senate President, Godwill Akpabio.
Problem started when Senator Natasha’s seat was relocated upon resumption of the session, but she refused to comply with the change.
The Chief Whip, Senator Tahir Monguno, had raised a point of order, citing sections of the Senate rule book to justify the reassignment of seats.
He explained that the changes were necessary due to shifts in party alignments, particularly some opposition members moving to the majority wing.
Monguno further asserted that such decisions fall within the constitutional prerogative of the Senate President and warned that failure to comply could lead to penalties, including exclusion from debates.
Senate President Godswill Akpabio immediately upheld the Chief Whip’s position, ruling in favor of the new arrangement.
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But When Senator Natasha attempted to address the chamber, she was denied recognition as she was not speaking from her reassigned seat.
This sparked a fiery response from the Kogi lawmaker, who accused the Senate leadership of silencing her.
“I don’t care if I am silenced. I am not afraid of you. You have denied me my privilege,” she declared, her voice rising in defiance.
The confrontation escalated as Akpabio ordered the sergeant-at-arms to remove her from the chamber.
However, following the intervention of several lawmakers, the situation was defused. Despite the efforts to restore order, Senator Natasha remained steadfast in her refusal to move to the newly assigned seat.
