RismadarVoice Reporters
February 16, 2026
The lawmaker representing Kogi Central, Senator Natasha Akpoti-Uduaghan, has protested what she described as a sustained pattern of marginalization within the Senate, culminating in her alleged exclusion from the Senate Committee on the North Central Development Commission (NCDC).
The controversy comes amid heightened scrutiny of committee appointments and influence in the 10th National Assembly, where committee memberships are widely regarded as critical platforms for legislative input, oversight responsibilities, and effective constituency representation.
Akpoti-Uduaghan’s grievance followed her reported omission from the membership list of the Senate Committee on the North Central Development Commission, a body whose mandate directly affects states within her geopolitical zone.
According to sources, the Senator arrived at a scheduled committee meeting prepared to participate in the proceedings but discovered that her name was missing from the official attendance register.
Upon noticing the omission, she reportedly sought clarification from the committee clerk but was informed that the clerk was in the office of the committee chairman, Senator Titus Tartenger Zam. She subsequently proceeded to the chairman’s office to seek further explanation.
Tension reportedly arose during the exchange, with Akpoti-Uduaghan alleging that the chairman indicated his actions were based on directives from higher authorities, though no further details were disclosed.
“This incident is part of a recurring pattern of marginalisation. All senators are constitutionally equal in status, authority, and mandate,” she stated.
The Kogi Central Senator questioned the procedural and constitutional basis for her exclusion from a committee handling matters central to the North Central geopolitical zone.
In a statement later made available to journalists in Abuja through her media aide, Mike Idoko, Akpoti-Uduaghan alleged that tensions escalated when aides attached to the committee chairman confronted members of her media team.
“Approximately six aides, including the chairman’s secretary, seized my cinematographer’s phone and engaged in verbal hostility. This is unacceptable,” she said.
Reaffirming her commitment to fairness and institutional integrity, Akpoti-Uduaghan maintained that her position is anchored on the electoral mandate entrusted to her by the people of Kogi Central.
She pledged to continue advocating for equitable treatment and to resist any actions she believes undermine legislative rights.
