The Nigerian Senate has announced the replacement of Senator Natasha Akpoti-Uduaghan as Chairperson of the Senate Committee on Diaspora and Non-Governmental Organisations, appointing Senator Aniekan Bassey in her stead.
Senate President Godswill Akpabio confirmed the leadership change during plenary on Thursday.
Bassey, who represents Akwa Ibom North-East Senatorial District, is now to lead the committee, following Akpoti-Uduaghan’s ongoing suspension from the Red Chamber.
Although no official explanation was offered for the latest decision, the development appears to be tied to the unresolved suspension of Senator Akpoti-Uduaghan. In February, she had been reassigned to the Diaspora and NGOs Committee after being removed as Chair of the Senate Committee on Local Content in a minor leadership reshuffle.
In May 2025, a Federal High Court in Abuja, presided over by Justice Binta Nyako, ruled that her suspension was “excessive and unconstitutional,” and ordered her reinstatement. However, the Senate has continued to sidestep the ruling, citing the absence of a Certified True Copy (CTC) of the judgment.
Responding to the Senate’s stance, Akpoti-Uduaghan explained in a recent televised interview that her return to the chamber was being delayed by legal advice to await the official CTC. “I’m only holding back in respect for due process. Once the Certified True Copy is in my hands, I will resume,” she said.
Despite the court’s judgment, a legal advisory reportedly authored by the Senate’s counsel, Paul Daudu (SAN), argued that the court did not issue any direct order mandating her reinstatement, thus leaving the matter open to interpretation.
Senator Akpoti-Uduaghan, who represents Kogi Central and is one of only three female lawmakers in the current Senate, described her continued exclusion as a violation of both democratic values and gender 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 lamented.
The Senate is yet to make a formal comment on whether it will comply with the court ruling once the CTC is made available.