Ireti Kingibe criticizes Natasha Akpoti-Uduaghan for violating Senate rules amid seating controversy

The Chairman of the Senate Committee on Women Affairs, Senator Ireti Kingibe, has accused her colleague, Senator Natasha Akpoti-Uduaghan, of failing to adhere to Senate rules during a recent controversy over seating arrangements in the Senate chamber.

 Kingibe, who represents the Federal Capital Territory (FCT) in the Senate, made this assertion during an interview on Arise TV on Friday.

The controversy erupted after Senate President Godswill Akpabio reassigned Akpoti-Uduaghan’s seat, a move she resisted, insisting that it was a deliberate attempt to deny her legislative privileges.

The disagreement escalated when she attempted to speak during a Senate session but was denied recognition because she was not addressing the chamber from her newly assigned seat.

Her protest led to a decision by the Senate to refer her case to the Committee on Ethics, Privileges, and Public Petitions for further review.

However, rather than backing down, Akpoti-Uduaghan escalated the matter publicly, appearing on Arise TV, where she accused Senate President Akpabio of sexual harassment.

Responding to Akpoti-Uduaghan’s allegations and conduct, Senator Kingibe distanced herself and other female senators from the controversy, stating that Natasha had failed to abide by Senate protocols.

READ ALSO: Akpabio/Natasha clash in Senate: A shocking insider account

She revealed that the three other female senators in the chamber had chosen to remain silent on the issue to avoid making negative public remarks about their colleague.

“Silence is golden, especially when one of us is not following the rules. As women, we did not want to come out publicly to say anything negative about her, and we were hoping all of this would blow over, as a lot of things do,” Kingibe stated.

Senator Kingibe emphasized that disputes over seating arrangements should not be a matter of contention in the Senate, as multiple lawmakers—both male and female—had their seats reassigned on the same day.

“This is about the rules of the Senate. If I can point out, other women were moved several times. I wasn’t there that day, but I gathered that several men were also relocated,” she explained.

While acknowledging that the Senate has historically not been particularly welcoming to women, Kingibe noted that significant progress has been made in recent years.

She reiterated that women in the legislative body must adhere to the institution’s rules in order to effectively navigate its challenges.

“The truth of the matter is, yes, the Senate is not gender-friendly, but it has been improving—much better than when we first entered the Senate, I must say. I want women to know we have to follow the rules of the institution we choose to enter, and that is mostly the point of this visit here,” Kingibe concluded.

The Senate’s decision to refer Akpoti-Uduaghan to the Committee on Ethics, Privileges, and Public Petitions suggests that the matter is far from over. Meanwhile, her allegations against the Senate President have added another layer of tension to an already heated dispute.

As the controversy unfolds, political observers and Nigerians alike are watching closely to see how the Senate leadership will address both the disciplinary review and the public allegations.