The lawmaker representing Kogi Central, Senator Natasha Akpoti-Uduaghan, was on Monday involved in another confrontation at the National Assembly, this time at the office of Senator representing Benue North-West, Titus Zam, Chairman of the Senate Committee on the North Central Development Commission.
Sources within the assembly said the incident followed a budget defence session of the committee earlier in the day.
The meeting, scheduled for 10 a.m., had reportedly ended before Akpoti-Uduaghan’s arrival.
On getting to the venue and finding the session concluded, the senator was said to have proceeded to the committee chairman’s office, accompanied by her legislative aides, to seek clarification.
Eyewitnesses alleged that tension rose after she was denied entry into the office, leading to a heated exchange involving members of staff and individuals in the senator’s entourage.
During the commotion, one of the senator’s aides was accused of physically confronting a staff member attached to the chairman’s office, prompting security intervention.
The situation was eventually brought under control by National Assembly security personnel, although details surrounding the immediate trigger of the altercation remain unclear.
Monday’s development adds to a series of recent disputes involving the Kogi Central lawmaker during Senate proceedings.
Last week, Akpoti-Uduaghan was involved in a tense exchange with Chairman of the Senate Committee on Steel Development, Senator Patrick Ndubueze, during an interactive session with the Minister of Steel Development, Shuaibu Audu.
The disagreement arose after Ndubueze attempted to conclude the minister’s appearance, while Akpoti-Uduaghan insisted on being allowed to continue her remarks, describing the action as disrespectful before leaving the session.
As of the time of this report, there was no official statement from Natasha, Zam or the Senate leadership regarding Monday’s incident.
Leave a Reply