Natasha: Court-declared senators part of Senate problem — Akpabio

Nigeria’s Senate President, Godswill Akpabio, has stated that senators who reclaimed their electoral mandate through the courts are part of the problem of the Senate. 

Akpabio said this on Tuesday while announcing that the Senator representing Kogi Central, Natasha Akpoti-Uduaghan, will face a disciplinary panel over her outburst following seat reallocation.

Tribune Online reports that Senator Natasha was involved in a shouting match with Akpabio last week following her resistance to being moved from her original position in the minority section. 

But the Senate President, who described the altercation as a result of a lack of understanding of the Senate guidelines, ordered the management of the National Assembly to organize periodic orientations for senators who he referred to as midstreamers.

“I think part of the problem is when people come from court, court-declared senators; they missed the orientation. 

“The management of the National Assembly is hereby ordered to organize periodic orientation, particularly for senators who are midstreamers, who came midstream and did not start when they are colleagues started,” Akpabio said. 

Continuing, the Senate President recalled how Senator Natasha had raised her hand to speak on the day she was sworn in. 

“I remember that this particular senator, on the day she was sworn in, raised her hand to speak. I was scared, but I had to recognize her, because I was saying we just gave her the rule book,” he added.

Meanwhile, the Kogi Central Senator, Tribune Online reports, slammed an N100 billion suit against the Senate President over alleged defamation. 

According to the suit, the Senator had claimed that following the confrontation on the floor of the Red Chamber, a Facebook post by a senior legislative aide to the Senate President had defamed her. 

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