A mild drama which ensued between Kogi Central Lawmaker Natasha Akpoti-Uduaghan and the Senate President Akpabio over the change of her seat during Thursday’s plenary session has continued to generate a series of reactions.
Despite an apology tendered on her behalf, Senate spokesman Yemi Adaramodu, on Friday, faulted the action of his colleague, Natasha Akpoti-Uduaghan, over a seating arrangement row in the hallowed chamber.
Natasha, a Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) representative from Kogi Central, declined to utilize her assigned seat on Thursday, citing Order 10 of the Senate Standing Rules, which safeguards members’ privileges.
At the height of the situation, Akpabio directed Senate security to walk the female senator out of the chambers, but fellow lawmakers intervened to prevent the situation from spiralling out of control.
Responding to the incident in an interview, Adaramodu stated that the upper chamber was not for content creation.
“What we are saying is that the National Assembly is not for content creation in entertainment. National Assembly is for serious business,” he said.
Adaramodu, who represents the Ekiti South Senatorial District, also weighed in on the bullying allegation of the Kogi senator.
“If she is talking like that, being bullied or sidelined, as a first-timer, she even had three committees that she was appointed as chairman.
“You are entitled to only one committee to be the chairman, and she is in charge of Foreign Affairs, NGOs now,” the Senate spokesman said.
On the possibility of applying disciplinary actions against Natasha, the Senate spokesman said her colleagues from Kogi State, especially Senator Isah Jubril, “had already tendered an apology on her behalf.”
He assured that the 10th Senate would not revisit the issue following the apology on Akpoti-Uduaghan’s behalf.
“The Senate as a whole has already accepted that tendered apology, so we are not going to revisit that,” Adaramodu stated.
