The Senate has appointed Senator Aniekan Bassey as the new Chairman of the Committee on Diaspora and Non-Governmental Organisations, replacing Senator Natasha Akpoti-Uduaghan, who remains on suspension.
Senate President Godswill Akpabio announced the change during Thursday’s plenary session. Bassey, who represents Akwa Ibom North-East, takes over from Akpoti-Uduaghan, who had been reassigned to the committee in February following her removal as Chair of the Senate Committee on Local Content during a minor reshuffle.
No official reason was given for Thursday’s decision, but it is widely believed to be linked to Akpoti-Uduaghan’s ongoing suspension.
In May, the Federal High Court ordered her reinstatement, with Justice Binta Nyako declaring the suspension “excessive and unconstitutional” and directing her to apologise to the Senate.
However, the Senate has maintained that it has yet to receive a certified true copy of the judgment.
Despite the ruling, Akpoti-Uduaghan, who represents Kogi Central and is one of only three female senators in the current assembly, has not resumed her legislative duties. In a televised interview on Tuesday, she said she was waiting for the certified judgment, citing legal advice and institutional protocol.
A legal opinion dated July 5, reportedly issued by Senate counsel Paul Daudu (SAN), argued that the court’s ruling did not include any enforceable directive for her reinstatement.
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Speaking out, Akpoti-Uduaghan described the delay as an attack on democratic representation.
“By keeping me out of the chambers, the Senate is not just silencing Kogi Central—it’s denying Nigerian women and children representation. We are only three female senators now, down from eight,” she said.
