By Abiola Olawale
A dramatic incident occurred on Thursday during a plenary session presided over by the President of the Senate, Senator Godswill Akpabio.
The incident occurred after verbal exchanges erupted betweem the Senate President, Senator Akpabio and Senator Natasha Akpoti-Uduaghan, the lawmaker representing Kogi Central Senatorial District of Kogi State in the Senate.
It was gathered that the tension escalated from a dispute over her seating arrangement.
Chief Whip Senator Mohammed Ali Monguno had raised a point of order, highlighting that Natasha’s seat had been changed but that she refused to vacate her previous seat.
As Monguno spoke, Natasha interjected, loudly questioning why her seat was moved and refusing to be silenced.
This defiance escalated the situation, prompting Akpabio to reportedly direct the Sergeant-at-Arms to escort her out of the chamber.
Standing her ground, Natasha boldly declared: “I am not afraid of you,” and accused Akpabio of denying her privileges as a senator, including opportunities to present bills.
The exchange turned chaotic, with Akpabio trying to restore order until the public address system was muted, allowing the session to eventually resume.
The New Diplomat reports that this isn’t the first clash between Akpabio and Natasha. In July 2024, Akpabio reprimanded her for speaking out of turn, controversially remarking that the Senate chamber “is not a nightclub,” a comment that drew widespread criticism and led to a public apology from him after social media backlash.
