By Abiola Olawale
Senator Natasha Akpoti-Uduaghan, the lawmaker representing Kogi Central Senatorial District of Kogi State in the Senate, has publicly accused the Senate leadership of denying her privileges as a senator.
She made these claims during an interview on Friday, February 21, 2025, on Brekete Family, a human rights radio and television program in Abuja.
According to Natasha, the latest issue began when she discovered her usual seat had been reassigned upon arriving at the Senate chamber.
Natasha further elaborated that since an earlier incident involving a remark by the President of the Senate, Senator Godswill Akpabio, likening her behaviour to being in a “nightclub”, she has faced systematic exclusion.
She claimed that her bills had been stalled, preventing them from reaching a second reading and that she had been removed from international activities, including a United Nations event for which she was nominated.
According to her, these events have been self-funded since last year, as the Senate leadership allegedly withheld support.
She said: “My attention was drawn that you were speaking about the issue on your programme today, so thank you so much for your concern.
“I have been going through a lot, and I have remained quiet because I didn’t want to be interpreted wrongly. I didn’t want any lawsuit against me.
“I just wanted to be given the chance to work. A lot of my privileges have been denied. I have been pulled out of many international activities that I have been part of since that whole nightclub incident that happened last year.
“There was even a United Nations event that I was supposed to attend, which I was nominated for, but my name was struck out, and they would not promote me in any event internationally.
“So every event that I have been going to since last year has been self-sponsored. I have been going through a lot. Yesterday, I didn’t speak out of order. He was reading my suspension, and I had to invoke Order 10, which is an order of privilege.”
