Senate removes Natasha as diaspora committee chair

Senate removes Natasha as diaspora committee chair

Senator Natasha Akpoti-Uduaghan, who represents Kogi Central, has been removed as chairperson of the Senate Committee on Diaspora and Non-Governmental Organizations.

Senate President Godswill Akpabio announced the change during Thursday’s plenary session.

Aniekan Bassey, the senator representing Akwa Ibom North-East and a member of the All Progressives Congress (APC), was appointed as the new committee chairman.

“The new chairman is Distinguished Senator Aniekan Bassey, and it will take effect from today,” he said.

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Akpabio also hinted at a broader reshuffling of committee positions, saying a review of vice chairmanships would be undertaken in the coming week to ensure a more equitable distribution.

“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.

Akpoti-Uduaghan, a first-time senator on the platform of the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP), had previously chaired the senate committee on local content until her removal in February.

She was subsequently reassigned to head the diaspora and NGOs committee.

With her latest removal, she no longer holds chairmanship of any senate committee.

Akpoti-Uduaghan was suspended in March over alleged gross misconduct following an altercation with Akpabio over seating arrangements.

Senate removes Natasha as diaspora committee chair