The Senate Committee on Ethics, Code of Conduct, and Public Petitions has commenced an investigation into the actions of Senator Natasha Akpoti-Uduaghan (PDP, Kogi Central), who chairs the Senate Committee on Diaspora and NGOs.
The session, scheduled for 2:00 p.m., was delayed, eventually starting at 2:58 p.m. under the leadership of Senator Neda Imasuen (LP, Edo South), the committee chairman. The delay was due to the absence of both Senator Akpoti-Uduaghan and Senator Yemi Adaramodu (APC, Ekiti South). While Adaramodu arrived at 2:50 p.m., Akpoti-Uduaghan was still absent when proceedings began.
As of 3:08 p.m., when Adaramodu was addressing the committee, Akpoti-Uduaghan had yet to appear.
The probe follows a referral to the Ethics Committee over Akpoti-Uduaghan’s conduct during a recent plenary session. Last Thursday, the Senate escalated the matter to the Imasuen-led committee, with Senate President Godswill Akpabio mandating a thorough investigation and a report within two weeks.
The Senate’s resolution came after it considered and adopted a report presented by Senator Adeyemi Adaramodu (APC, Ekiti South), Chairman of the Committee on Media and Public Affairs. Adaramodu detailed the disruptions caused by Akpoti-Uduaghan during the previous week’s plenary, where she openly challenged the Senate President over her seat allocation.
Citing Senate Order 1(b), Adaramodu referenced an interview Akpoti-Uduaghan granted to Brekete Family on Human Rights Radio and TV, hosted by Ahmad Isah, where she made further allegations against the Senate President. He criticized the media coverage of the incident and urged the Senate to take action.
The committee is expected to conclude its probe and submit its findings within the mandated timeframe.
