On Tuesday, the Senate referred Sen. Natasha Akpoti-Uduaghan (PDP-Kogi) to its Committee on Ethics, Privileges, and Public Petitions over alleged disorderly conduct during a recent plenary session.
The committee, chaired by Sen. Neda Imaseun (LP, Edo), was mandated to turn in its findings in two weeks. The upper chamber’s resolution was sequel to a voice vote after the lawmakers had revisited the controversy surrounding the recent altercation between Akpoti-Uduaghan and the senate leadership over seat allocation.
Coming under Order 1(b) and 10, the senate’s Spokesperson, Sen. Yemi Adaramodu, condemned what he described as Akpoti-Uduaghan’s “extreme intransigence” during the senate session on Feb. 20.
“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,” he said.
Mr Adaramodu urged the senate leadership to enforce discipline, warning that ‘where there is sin, there must be penalty’.
“This chamber is not a place for theatrics or social media content creation. We are here to legislate, advocate for our constituents and provide oversight over MDAs, not to engage in media dramatisation,” he said.
Sen. Jimoh Ibrahim (APC-Ondo) also supported the motion, emphasising the importance of maintaining order and decorum in the senate.
Mr Ibrahim urged all senators to respect the institution’s guiding rules, comparing the Standing Orders to the Bible and Quran for lawmakers.
Also, the Senate Leader, Sen. Opeyemi Bamidele, moved a motion for the disciplinary review, affirming the senate’s commitment to its rules and internal order.
According to him, 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. Our integrity is non-negotiable,” he said.
Mr Bamidele dismissed claims that the dispute was rooted in gender bias or discrimination, citing examples of senior senators who had accepted seat changes without protest.
Contributing, the Senate Minority Leader, Sen. Abba Moro, described the incident as “an avoidable drama” and apologised on behalf of Akpoti-Uduaghan.
He urged the senate to focus on its legislative responsibilities, while allowing the ethics committee to handle the matter.
Responding, President of the Senate, Godswill Akpabio, directed the committee on ethics and privileges to review the entire incident and report back to the chamber in two weeks.
According to Mr Akpabio, the senate rules allow members to sit anywhere, but that contributions must be made from their designated seats.
He said that lack of familiarity with the senate procedures might have contributed to the altercation.
“The first day she (Akpoti-Uduaghan) 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 is wrong with disobeying procedures,” he said.
Citing Order 66(2) and Section 55 of Senate rules, he underscored the need for senators to conduct themselves with decorum, including prohibitions on chewing gum, drinking water or being disruptive 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,” Mr Akpabio said.
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