…...adjourns plenary to March 5
He condemned what he described as a misrepresentation of the Senate proceedings and urged the chamber to take action.
By Ife Osemedua
365Daily – The Senate has directed its Committee on Ethics, Privileges, and Public Petitions to investigate the controversial behaviour of Senator Natasha Akpoti-Uduaghan (Kogi Central) during last Thursday’s plenary session.
The move followed deliberations on a report by the Chairman of the Senate Committee on Media and Public Affairs, Senator Yemi Adaramodu (Ekiti South), regarding media coverage of the incident.
In a related development, the Senate also passed a vote of confidence on Senate President Godswill Akpabio, emphasising that he was acting to protect the integrity of the legislative ininstitution.
It also adjourned plenary to March 5, 2025 to enable it focus on Tax Reform Bills.
The controversy arose when Senator Akpoti-Uduaghan accused Senate President Akpabio of reallocating her seat in the chamber to intimidate and silence her. She resisted attempts by colleagues to explain the rationale behind the change and raised her voice in plenary.
Senator Adaramodu cited an interview she granted Brekete Family on Human Rights Radio, where she further accused Akpabio of bias. He condemned what he described as a misrepresentation of the Senate proceedings and urged the chamber to take action.
In response, Senate Leader Opeyemi Bamidele (Ekiti Central) reminded lawmakers that the Ethics Committee is responsible for handling such issues. He proposed referring the matter to the committee for further investigation, a motion that was subsequently adopted.
Addressing the controversy, Senate President Akpabio noted that Akpoti-Uduaghan may not have been familiar with parliamentary procedures, as she had missed the Senate’s orientation programme
“I was a member of the 8th Senate; today, I’m in the 10th Senate. The institution of the Senate remains, and there are rules that must be followed,” Akpabio said.
He explained that every senator is assigned a seat and must contribute to debates from their designated position. “When the issue first arose, she was not even speaking from her seat. That was why we tried to call her to order,” he added.
Akpabio further emphasised that under Senate Standing Orders, he has the authority to suspend a senator for 14 legislative days without referring the matter to a committee.
Reading from the Senate’s Rule Book, he said: “In the case of sitting as chairman of the Committee of the Whole, [the Senate President] shall order such a senator whose conduct is grossly disorderly to withdraw immediately from the Senate for the remainder of that day’s sitting… And the sergeant-at-arms shall act on such orders.”
He also dismissed Akpoti-Uduaghan’s claim that her microphone was muted to prevent her from speaking. “I did not mute the microphone. In fact, I later directed that it be unmuted so she could express her grievances,” Akpabio clarified.
Following the debate, Minority Leader Abba Moro (Benue South) moved a motion to refer the matter to the Ethics Committee, which was approved. The committee has two weeks to submit its report, and if found guilty of misconduct, Akpoti-Uduaghan could face suspension for a period recommended by the panel.