Anietie Udobit, Abuja
Tensions flared during plenary on Thursday as a dispute over seating arrangements led to a heated exchange between Senator Natasha Akpoti-Uduaghan and the senate leadership.
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The controversy began 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.
Monguno explained that the changes were necessary to accommodate shifts caused by some opposition members moving to the majority wing. The changes, he argued, are within the constitutional prerogative of the Senate President.
Senator Monguno further emphasized that failure to comply with the new seating arrangement could lead to penalties, including the possibility of being barred from participating in discussions on the Senate floor.
Upholding this position, Senate President Godswill Akpabio ruled in favor of the order. However, when Senator Natasha raised her hand to speak, she was denied recognition because she was not addressing the chamber from her newly assigned seat.
Refusing to back down, Senator Natasha raised her voice in protest, directly confronting the Senate President.
“I don’t care if I am silenced. I am not afraid of you. You have denied me my privilege,” the Kogi lawmaker said.
The standoff added an unexpected layer of drama and tension during the plenary. The Senate President even ordered the sergeant at arms to walk her out, but after the intervention from various lawmakers, calm was restored but she adamantly declined to move.
Reviewing the controversy surrounding the reassignment of seats and the concomitant outburst by Senator Natasha Akpoti-Uduaghan, Senator Isah Jibrin representing Kogi East raised a point of order under rule 42, addressed the chamber, condemning Senator Natasha’s conduct and offering an apology on behalf of Kogi East.
He described her actions as inappropriate and extended his regrets to the Senate President and the entire Senate.
By the same token, the Chairman of Rules and Business, Senator Sunday Karimi also weighed in, citing Order 10 to reaffirm the Senate President’s authority to reassign seats at any time. Recalling the earlier events, he explained that another senator, Samson Ekong, had initially approached him about his seat but before discussions could progress, Senator Natasha began shouting his name and causing a scene.
According to him, his privilege has been breached.
“We don’t need to blackmail ourselves. When she joined the Senate, we extended a hand of fellowship to her and even lobbied for her to be given a chairmanship position. Despite this, she resorted to throwing tantrums. I thank God that I remained calm, but I believe she owes us an apology for her behavior this morning,” he said.
Responding to the concerns, Akpabio assured lawmakers that the issue would be addressed at the appropriate time.
He underpinned the dignity of the Senate, describing it as one of the most prestigious legislative bodies in the world, with highly esteemed members. He also reassured opposition members that the reorganization of seating was a normal legislative practice.
“Movement within the chamber is part of our legislative functions, I want the public to understand that we do not act haphazardly, these adjustments will happen from time to time,” he said.
“Anyone who seeks to make laws must also be prepared to follow them. Distinguished senators, let us focus on the responsibilities that brought us here”.