Senator Natasha removed as chair of Diaspora and NGOs committee

Kogi Central lawmaker, Senator Natasha Akpoti-Uduaghan, has once again been stripped of a Senate committee leadership role, further deepening the political tensions surrounding her tenure in the 10th National Assembly.

During Thursday’s plenary, Senate President Godswill Akpabio announced her removal as Chairperson of the Senate Committee on Diaspora and Non-Governmental Organisations (NGOs). She has been replaced by Senator Aniekan Bassey of Akwa Ibom North-East, a member of the ruling All Progressives Congress (APC).

“The new chairman is Distinguished Senator Aniekan Bassey, and it will take effect from today,” Akpabio declared during the session.

This marks the second time Akpoti-Uduaghan, a first-time Senator elected on the platform of the opposition Peoples Democratic Party (PDP), has lost a committee chairmanship. In February, she was removed as Chair of the Senate Committee on Local Content, only to be reassigned to the Diaspora and NGOs committee, from which she has now also been removed.

Senate President Akpabio hinted at a broader restructuring of committee positions, especially vice chairmanships, in an apparent bid to ensure a more equitable distribution of roles among Senators.

“We will make some changes to our vice chairmanship positions next week. Some Senators have two vice chairmanship positions. Every Senator should either be a chairman or a vice chairman, so we balance the situation,” he noted.

Akpoti-Uduaghan’s latest removal comes months after her suspension from the Senate in March over alleged gross misconduct. The suspension followed a heated altercation with the Senate President, reportedly over seating arrangements during a plenary session.

With this development, the embattled lawmaker no longer holds any leadership position across Senate committees.

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