Akpabio Removes Natasha As Senate Diaspora Committee Chair

The beleaguered Kogi Central Senator, Natasha Akpoti-Uduaghan, has been ousted as Chairperson of the Senate Committee on Diaspora and Non-Governmental Organisations (NGOs).

Senate President, Godswill Akpabio, made this announcement during the Senate plenary session on Thursday, July 10. He named Senator Aniekan Bassey, representing Akwa Ibom North-East and a member of the ruling All Progressives Congress (APC), as Natasha’s successor.

“The new chairman is Distinguished Senator Aniekan Bassey, and it will take effect from today,” Akpabio declared on the Senate floor.

This is the second instance in which Akpoti-Uduaghan, a first-term Senator elected under the opposition Peoples Democratic Party (PDP), has been stripped of a committee leadership role in the current legislative assembly.

She previously served as the Chairperson of the Senate Committee on Local Content but was removed from that position in February. Following that, she was reassigned to head the Diaspora and NGOs committee before her latest removal.

Akpabio also suggested that a wider restructuring of Senate committees, particularly concerning vice chairmanships, is planned to promote more equitable representation among Senators.

“We will make some changes to our vice chairmanship positions next week. Some of the Senators have two vice chairmanship positions. Every Senator should either be a chairman or a vice chairman, so we balance the situation.”

The removal of Akpoti-Uduaghan follows her suspension in March for alleged gross misconduct, which stemmed from a confrontation with the Senate President during a plenary session.

A Gentle Reminder: Every obstacle is a stepping stone, every morning; a chance to go again, and those little steps take you closer to your dream.

Nnamdi Okoli