The Senate Committee on Ethics, Privileges, and Public Petitions has rescheduled the disciplinary hearing for Senator Natasha Akpoti-Uduaghan, following her clash with Senate President Godswill Akpabio over seat allocation in February.
The incident, which took place on February 20, saw the Kogi Central lawmaker reject her assigned seat, defying Akpabio’s order and persistently raising a point of order despite being overruled.
The altercation, which occurred during plenary, sparked criticism, with Senator Yemi Adaramodu of Ekiti South remarking that the episode had tarnished the image of the Senate.
As a result, the Senate referred Akpoti-Uduaghan to the Ethics Committee for disciplinary review.
The committee was tasked with investigating the matter and reporting back to the Senate. Initially, the hearing was set for Thursday, March 6. However, in a letter dated Wednesday, March 5, the Clerk to the Committee, Christian Onwusonye, informed Akpoti-Uduaghan of the rescheduled public hearing.
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The letter, which was referenced NASS/S/10/EPP/DSNAU/2, stated that the hearing would now take place at Meeting Room 120 in the New Senate Building, National Assembly, Abuja.
It further assured the Senator that the change of date did not invalidate the previous invitation’s contents.
“The Committee regrets any inconvenience the sudden change of date may have caused. Please accept the assurances of the Committee’s highest esteem,” the letter read.
The disciplinary proceedings are set against the backdrop of growing tensions within the Senate, with political factions continuing to make headlines over various controversies, including the ongoing row between Akpoti-Uduaghan and Akpabio.
