The Senate has replaced Senator Natasha Akpoti-Uduaghan (PDP, Kogi Central) as Chairperson of the Senate Committee on Diaspora and Non-Governmental Organisations, with Senator Aniekan Bassey (APC, Akwa Ibom North East), in an announcement that was made during plenary on Thursday by the Senate President, Godswill Obot Akpabio.
The development was sequel to months of controversy surrounding Akpoti-Uduaghan, culminating in a six-month suspension handed down by the upper legislative chamber earlier this year.
Speaking after the conclusion of the day’s legislative business, Akpabio said the change in leadership takes immediate effect.
In a brief chat with journalists after the plenary, Senate spokesperson Yemi Adaramodu (APC, Ekiti South) said the replacement is part of the Senate’s ongoing internal restructuring and should not be viewed through partisan or personal lenses.
“The Senate is an institution governed by rules, and no individual, no matter how influential or popular, is above those rules. The new appointment will ensure that the work of the Committee on Diaspora and NGOs continues without disruption,” Adaramodu stated.
Bassey, who replaced Natasha, is a former Speaker of the Akwa Ibom State House of Assembly.
Natasha was suspended in March following allegations of conduct unbecoming of a senator. Though the specifics of the alleged infractions were not fully disclosed during the initial disciplinary proceedings, Senate leadership cited repeated breaches of parliamentary decorum, insubordination, and public defamation of the institution.
In a ruling delivered last Friday, the Federal High Court sitting in Abuja dismissed her application and fined her ₦5 million for contempt of court.
Justice James Omotosho held that the senator had acted in bad faith by continuing to comment on a matter sub judice and attempting to undermine the authority of the court and the Senate simultaneously.
The court ordered Natasha to publish a formal apology to the Senate in two national dailies and on her verified Facebook page, which had served as a major platform for her public criticisms.
Another Federal High Court sitting in Abuja, on Monday, also upheld the legality of the Senate’s disciplinary actions.
The ruling stated that the Senate had acted within its constitutional mandate to discipline its members when decorum and institutional integrity were under threat.
The judge emphasised that parliamentary privileges allowed the Senate to determine its internal affairs, including enforcing sanctions against erring members.