A heated exchange between the Senate President, Godswill Akpabio, and a lawmaker representing Kogi Central Senatorial District, Natasha Akpoti on Thursday, over sitting arrangements has gained traction with the Senate President stating that while her displeasure was justified, she would have handled it with better decorum.
Akpabio also added that he once expressed displeasure when his seat was changed in the 8th Senate.
Akpoti-Uduaghan had disrupted the plenary session due to an unauthorized change of her seating arrangement by the Chief Whip, Senator Muhammad Ali Monguno who tagged her sitting position as “improper”.
Before Monguno could finish his statement, Senator Akpoti-Uduaghan erupted in a loud confrontation, prompting the Sergeant-at-Arms to intervene and attempt to escort her from the chamber.
Speaking on the disturbance after the incident was resolved, Akpabio likened the situation to South Africa’s parliament, where opposition leader Julius Malema frequently faces calls to “sit down.”
According to Akpabio, he had protested a seat reassignment similarly in the 8th senate but with decorum.
“In the 8th Senate, my seat was changed without prior notice. I voiced my displeasure, but the matter was resolved internally,” he said.
He further suggested reverting to the old microphone system to prevent senators from speaking out of turn, sarcastically apologising “on behalf of the contractor” over the development.
Following the peaceful resumption of the plenary, Senator Jibrin cited Order 42 (Matter of personal explanation) and apologised on behalf of his Kogi colleague.
On his part, Senator Sunday Karimi (APC, Kogi West) defended the seat reallocation process, describing Akpoti-Uduaghan’s reaction as unnecessary.
“When she came in, we extended an arm of friendship to her; we love her too much. I don’t know why she turned the place upside down,” he said, urging her to apologise.
In the end, Senator Akpabio intervened, offering Senator Akpoti-Uduaghan a soft landing.
