Senator representing Kogi Central, Natasha Akpoti-Uduaghan, was today at the centre of a fresh controversy at the National Assembly following a confrontation at the office of the Chairman of the Senate Committee on the North Central Development Commission.
The incident began after the senator arrived late for a budget defence session of the committee, which had been scheduled for 10 a.m. and proceeded as planned, with prior notice circulated to lawmakers and journalists.
On arrival, Senator Akpoti-Uduaghan reportedly met an empty meeting venue, as the session had already been concluded and senators had dispersed.
Aggrieved by the development, she proceeded to the office of the committee chairman, Senator Titus Zam, accompanied by her legislative and security aides, in an attempt to gain access.
Tension escalated when she was denied entry into the chairman’s office. The senator then took a seat directly in front of the office, effectively blocking access to the chairman’s doorway.
The situation intensified further when a phone belonging to one of her aides, reportedly used to record the unfolding events , was seized by members of staff in the chairman’s office.
The seizure angered the senator, who threatened to go live on social media, alleging that the President of the Senate, Godswill Akpabio, was using her colleagues to frustrate her.
The confrontation took a more dramatic turn when an exchange between a staff member and the senator’s team degenerated. A comment questioning her decision to go live over Senate matters reportedly provoked a reaction, culminating in a slap delivered to the staff member by one of her security aides.
The altercation triggered a scuffle, leading to the senator’s aides being forced out of the office.
However, one of the aides reportedly returned and attempted to draw a firearm, prompting security personnel in the office to overpower and remove him from the premises.
Calm was eventually restored after another senator arrived at the scene, engaged Senator Akpoti-Uduaghan in a private discussion, and directed that everyone vacate the area.
The incident has further heightened tensions within the Senate, though there has been no official statement from the chamber’s leadership at the time of this report.
