ABUJA – The Senate was rocked by high-stakes drama on Monday morning as Senator Natasha Akpoti-Uduaghan (PDP, Kogi Central) launched a fiery protest against what she described as a “deliberate and malicious” attempt to sideline her from the activities of the North Central Development Commission (NCDC) Committee.
The confrontation turned physical in its intensity when the Kogi lawmaker stormed the office of the Committee Chairman, Senator Titus Tartenger Zam, demanding to know why her name had been scrubbed from the official attendance and invitation lists for the commission’s high-level meetings.
‘Instructions from Above’
The exchange, which was partially caught on video and has since gone viral, saw a visibly angry Akpoti-Uduaghan cornering both the Committee Clerk and the Chairman. According to witnesses, when pressed for an explanation, Senator Zam reportedly claimed his hands were tied by “instructions from higher authorities”—a vague reference to the Senate Leadership that only served to fuel the fire.
“I am a Senator of the Federal Republic, and I represent the people of Kogi Central,” Akpoti-Uduaghan was heard saying during the heated standoff. “You cannot treat me like a second-class citizen in a committee that is specifically meant for my own geopolitical zone. Who are these ‘higher authorities’ giving you orders to exclude me?”
A Pattern of ‘Bullying’?
This is the second time in less than a week that the Kogi Senator has been at the center of a legislative storm. Just days ago, she famously walked out of a Ministry of Steel budget session after a shouting match with Senator Patrick Ndubueze, who had tried to cut off her questioning of the Minister.
Supporters of the Senator are now calling the latest move a “coordinated bullying campaign” designed to silence one of the most vocal female voices in the 10th National Assembly.
The North Central Question
The exclusion is particularly stinging because the NCDC was created to address the developmental needs of the North Central states—including Kogi.
“If a sitting Senator from the heart of the North Central is being locked out of the room where decisions about the region’s development are made, then what hope does the average citizen have?” a legislative aide close to the Senator questioned.
The Senate’s Silence
As of Monday evening, the Senate President’s office has not issued a formal statement regarding the “higher authority” claims. However, sources within the Red Chamber suggest that the leadership is “unhappy” with the public nature of the protest, which they view as a breach of legislative decorum.
Meanwhile, Senator Akpoti-Uduaghan has vowed to escalate the matter to the full floor of the Senate during Tuesday’s plenary session, promising to “unmask” those behind the attempt to disenfranchise her constituents.
Is this a simple administrative error, or is there a genuine plot to silence a vocal senator?
