Akpabio Drops Senator Natasha from Committee Chair Role Days After Court Ordered Her Recall

Senator Godswill Akpabio has removed Senator Natasha Akpoti-Uduaghan (PDP, Kogi Central) as Chairman of the Senate Committee on Diaspora and NGOs, according to Vanguard News. This comes barely a week after a Federal High Court ruled her six-month suspension from the Senate was “excessive” and ordered her recall.

Senator Aniekan Bassey (Akwa Ibom North East) has been named as her replacement, leaving Akpoti-Uduaghan without any committee leadership role in the 10th National Assembly. She had previously chaired the Committee on Local Content before being reassigned to Diaspora and NGOs in February.

This latest development raises concerns of retaliation, coming just days after Justice Binta Nyako ruled that her prolonged suspension violated her constitutional right to represent the people of Kogi Central.

“Since lawmakers are constitutionally required to sit for a total of 181 days in each legislative session, the six-month suspension imposed on Akpoti-Uduaghan effectively stripped her of the opportunity to carry out her legislative duties for nearly the entire session,” the court held.

The court also rebuked the Senate’s disciplinary procedures, calling provisions of its Standing Rules and related laws “overreaching,” while affirming the Senate’s authority to discipline members—but only within proportionate limits.

See Also

‘Protesters were dispersed with minimum force’ -Lagos police insist no civilians were injured at Ikeja protest against demolition

Although the court declined to fault Akpabio for refusing to let her speak during plenary, it ruled against his argument that the matter was purely internal and outside judicial oversight.