More trouble for Natasha Akpoti-Uduaghan as Senate removes her as committee chairman

The Senate has removed Senator Natasha Akpoti-Uduaghan as the Chairman of the Committee on Diaspora and Non-Governmental Organisations (NGOs).

In her place, the upper chamber of the National Assembly named Senator Aniekan Bassey as the new chairman of the committee.

Senate President, Godswill Akpabio, announced the appointment during Thursday’s plenary, confirming Bassey’s replacement of Senator Akpoti-Uduaghan, who is currently on suspension.

Akpoti-Uduaghan was reassigned to the Diaspora and NGOs Committee in February after she was removed as the chair of the Senate Committee on Local Content during a minor reshuffle.

Bassey is the senator representing Akwa Ibom North-East Senatorial District.

Although no reason was given for her removal on Thursday, the change is believed to be connected to her unresolved suspension.

It would be recalled that Justice Binta Nyako of the Federal High Court had ordered her reinstatement and directed her to tender an apology to the Senate.

However, the Senate insisted it had not received a certified true copy of the court judgment.

The embattled lawmaker, who represents Kogi Central, has yet to resume her legislative duties despite the recent court ruling that voided her suspension.

In a televised interview on Tuesday, she said she was awaiting the Certified True Copy of the judgment before officially returning to plenary, citing legal advice and respect for institutional process.

Although the Federal High Court described her suspension as “excessive and unconstitutional”, a legal opinion dated July 5 and attributed to the Senate’s counsel, Paul Daudu (SAN), argued that the ruling lacked any binding directive to enforce her reinstatement.

Akpoti-Uduaghan, one of only three female senators in the current assembly, said the continued delay in allowing her return was not only a denial of her mandate but also a blow to democratic representation.

“By keeping me out of the chambers, the Senate is not just silencing Kogi Central—it’s denying Nigerian women and children representation. We are only three female senators now, down from eight”, she lamented.