Senator Natasha Akpoti-Uduaghan, who represents Kogi Central in the National Assembly, has accused the Senate leadership of denying her certain privileges. She made this claim during an interview on the Brekete Family program, a human rights-focused radio and television show in Abuja.
The controversy gained attention after a tense session in the Senate on Thursday. The incident occurred when Akpoti-Uduaghan refused to use the seat assigned to her, leading to a heated exchange with Senate President Godswill Akpabio. The lawmaker, who is a member of the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP), discovered that her designated seat had been changed without her consent. Unhappy with the decision, she openly voiced her concerns, which caused a disruption in the chamber.
Speaking on the matter, Akpoti-Uduaghan stated that she has faced several challenges since her first disagreement with the Senate President. She noted that she has been excluded from multiple international engagements that she was previously involved in.
“My attention was drawn that you were actually speaking about the issue on your programme today, so thank you so much for your concern,” she said during the interview.
The senator further expressed frustration over how she has been treated, stating that she has remained silent for a long time to avoid misinterpretation or legal trouble. However, she now feels the need to speak up.
She continued, “I have been going through a lot, and I have remained quiet because I didn’t want to be interpreted wrongly. I didn’t want any lawsuit against me.
“I just wanted to be given the chance to work. A lot of my privileges have been denied. I have been pulled out of many international activities that I have been part of since that whole nightclub incident that happened last year.
“In fact, there was even a United Nations event that I was supposed to attend, which I was nominated for, but my name was struck out that they would not promote me in any event internationally.”
Akpoti-Uduaghan explained that since last year, she has had to personally fund her participation in any international event she attended. She noted that despite these challenges, she remains committed to her work as a senator.
