The Nigerian Senate has sent Senator Natasha Akpoti-Uduaghan to the Committee on Ethics, Privileges, and Public Petitions for investigation following a dispute over her seating arrangement in the Senate chamber.
The committee, chaired by Senator Neda Imaseun, has been given two weeks to investigate the matter and submit a report.
The decision was made on Tuesday after lawmakers reviewed the altercation between Akpoti-Uduaghan and the Senate leadership over her designated seat. The Senate voted by voice to refer the issue to the committee, emphasizing the need to follow rules and maintain order.
Senate spokesperson, Senator Yemi Adaramodu, condemned Akpoti-Uduaghan’s actions, describing them as “extreme intransigence.” He introduced a resolution under Senate Orders 1(b) and 10, stressing the importance of preserving the Senate’s public image.
“The Senate is a place for oversight and legislative duties, not for producing content,” Adaramodu said. “I urge the leadership to enforce discipline. There must be a penalty where there is sin.”
Senate Leader Opeyemi Bamidele supported Adaramodu’s stance, stating that the chamber must maintain integrity and discipline.
“Everyone has an opinion on this matter, but we are bound by our regulations. We cannot allow this institution to lose more credibility than we inherited. Integrity cannot be compromised,” Bamidele said.
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He also dismissed claims that gender bias played a role in the dispute, explaining that other senior senators had accepted seat adjustments without protest.
Senate President Godswill Akpabio ordered the Ethics Committee to conduct a thorough investigation and report back with its findings. He clarified that while senators could sit anywhere, they must speak from their assigned seats.
Akpabio remarked, “She stood up to contribute on the first day she was sworn in, and I wondered whether she had ever read the rulebook.”
He added, “Being vibrant is fine, but defying protocol is improper.”
Akpabio also reminded senators of the importance of decorum in the chamber, citing Order 66(2) and Section 55 of the Senate regulations, which prohibit unruly behavior such as chewing gum, drinking water, or acting disorderly during sessions.