Senate President Godswill Akpabio has announced the removal of Senator Natasha Akpoti-Uduaghan as chairperson of the Senate committee on diaspora and non-governmental organisations.
Akpabio made the announcement during plenary on Thursday, naming Senator Aniekan Bassey (Akwa Ibom North-East) as her replacement.
This marks the second time the Kogi Central lawmaker has been removed from a leadership position in the Senate.
In February, Akpoti-Uduaghan was removed as chairperson of the Senate committee on local content and reassigned to the diaspora committee.
In March, she was suspended for six months over alleged misconduct. Her suspension followed a rowdy session during which she accused the Senate President of harassment and challenged his authority. The incident sparked public outrage and a protest by civil society groups and women’s rights activists, many of whom accused the Senate of silencing a female voice.
Although a Federal High Court later ruled her suspension unconstitutional and ordered her reinstatement, the Senate leadership said it had not received a certified true copy of the judgement and insisted she would not resume until that was provided.
Akpoti-Uduaghan’s removal on Thursday came shortly after the Senate went into a closed-door session and resumed with the announcement of Bassey as the new chairperson of the diaspora committee.
It is unclear if Akpoti-Uduaghan will be assigned to another committee. With her removal, she currently does not hold any leadership position in the Senate.
Akpoti-Uduaghan was elected in 2023 under the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP), defeating Abubakar Ohere of the All Progressives Congress (APC) in a tightly contested senatorial race that was upheld by the election tribunal and appellate court.
She is one of the few women in the 10th Senate and is known for her bold stance on gender equity, governance and accountability. Her suspension and recent committee removal have drawn criticism from opposition lawmakers and gender rights groups who accuse the Senate of targeting her unfairly.
Neither Akpoti-Uduaghan nor her aides has publicly reacted to the latest development as of press time.
