The Senate on Thursday removed Senator Natasha Akpoti-Uduaghan as Chair of the Senate Committee on Diaspora and Non-Governmental Organisations (NGOs), replacing her with Senator Aniekan Bassey of Akwa Ibom North-East Senatorial District.
The announcement was made by Senate President Godswill Akpabio during plenary. No official reason was given for the decision.
“The new chairman is Distinguished Senator Aniekan Bassey, and it will take effect from today,” Akpabio stated.
While addressing the broader context of committee assignments, the Senate President hinted at an upcoming reshuffle of vice chairmanship positions to promote fairness in the distribution of roles.
“We will make some changes to our vice chairmanship positions next week. Some of the senators have two vice chairmanship positions. Every senator should either be a chairman or a vice chairman so we balance the situation,” he said.
Senator Akpoti-Uduaghan, who represents Kogi Central, was initially appointed as Chair of the Local Content Committee but was removed earlier this year. On February 4, 2025, she was reassigned to head the Committee on Diaspora and NGOs.
Her removal from the Diaspora Committee comes amid ongoing tension between her and Senate leadership.
In March, Akpoti-Uduaghan was suspended over allegations of gross misconduct following a confrontation with Akpabio, reportedly over seating arrangements on the Senate floor.
Despite a court ruling that nullified her suspension, she has not yet returned to active legislative duties.
Speaking in an interview on Tuesday, Akpoti-Uduaghan said she was waiting for official court documentation before making her return.
“I am awaiting the Certified True Copy of the judgment before officially returning to plenary,” she said, adding that she was acting on legal counsel and out of respect for the institution.
