The Senate has referred Senator Natasha Akpoti-Uduaghan to the Committee on Ethics, Privileges, and Public Petitions for disciplinary review following a dispute over her seating arrangement.
The committee, led by Senator Neda Imaseun, has been given two weeks to investigate and report back on its findings.
The decision followed a voice vote on Tuesday, February 25, after lawmakers revisited the altercation between Natasha Akpoti-Uduaghan and the Senate leadership on February 20, with many insisting on the need to maintain order in the chamber.
Senate spokesperson Yemi Adaramodu, who raised a motion under Order 1(b) and 10, accused Akpoti-Uduaghan of “extreme intransigence” and said her actions had tarnished the Senate’s image.
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“From that Thursday, the media was awash with this issue, and I had to work on mending the perception of the 10th Senate.
“The Senate is not a platform for content creation but a place for lawmaking and oversight functions,” Adaramodu stated.
He urged the Senate leadership to take disciplinary action, saying, “Where there is sin, there must be a penalty.”
Senate Leader Opeyemi Bamidele backed Adaramodu, stressing the importance of upholding Senate rules and order.
“There is no one who does not have an opinion on this issue, but we are unified by our rules.
“Under our watch, we will not allow this institution to be discredited beyond what we inherited. Integrity is non-negotiable,” Bamidele said.
Dismissing allegations of gender bias, he pointed out that senior senators had accepted seat changes without issue.
Senate President Godswill Akpabio directed the ethics committee to examine the matter, stating that while senators are allowed to sit anywhere, official contributions must be made from designated seats.
He suggested Akpoti-Uduaghan’s actions stemmed from inexperience, saying, “The first day she was sworn in, she stood up to contribute, and I was worried if she had even read the rule book.
“There is nothing wrong with being vibrant, but everything wrong with disobeying procedure.”
Citing Order 66(2) and Section 55 of Senate rules, Akpabio emphasised the need for decorum, reminding lawmakers that rules prohibit disruptive behaviour, chewing gum, and drinking water during sittings.
“The rules empower the Senate President to suspend a senator for infractions for at least 14 days. It’s not me who made the rules, it’s in the rule book,” he added.