Regarding the contentious exchange in the Senate on February 20, 2025, between Senator Natasha Akpoti-Uduaghan of Kogi Central and Senator Yemi Adaramodu of Ekiti South, the latter has offered new information.
A disagreement that eventually prevented Akpoti-Uduaghan from speaking during plenary caused the session to degenerate into chaos when she refused to assume a freshly assigned seat.
Senator Natasha’s formal petition submission on Wednesday, charging Senate President Godswill Akpabio of sexual harassment, misuse of office, and willful obstruction of her legislative duties, further inflamed the matter.
In a resounding denial of the accusations, Akpabio declared, “I do not harass women.” The Senate Committee on Ethics, Privileges, and Public Petitions, meantime, rejected the sexual harassment allegation, stating it was “dead on arrival.”
In an interview with Channels Television, Adaramodu supported the Senate’s ruling, stating that senators had to be seated correctly in accordance with procedural norms before participating in debates.
Additionally, he rejected Akpoti-Uduaghan’s allegations of harassment and obstruction by Senate President Godswill Akpabio, highlighting the fact that her activities caused disruptions during the meeting.
“There had been a set rule since the Fourth Republic began in 1999,” explained Senator Adaramodu. Additionally, standing regulations were a practice mentioned in our orders. It is not till 26 years after Natasha joined the team that it will be disregarded and altered as a result of her actions.
He explained the Senate session in detail, saying, “Let me tell you what really happened.” When a seat is charged, the presiding officer notifies the sergeant-at-arms. And he will inform the senator after informing the sergeant-at-arms.
He added, “Then, over half an hour before the plenary that day, our own sister-Senator arrived. When she had previously arrived, she had already been told. She had never arrived so early before. and there were roughly four senators whose seats had been switched when she arrived.
But she hurled her name’s inscription. Before the plenary even began, she threw it off and began cursing and slandering. She therefore waited for that plenary and did not take the seat that was assigned to her.
The individual who was supposed to sit there was unable to find a seat because she sat on the prior seat, Adaramodu claimed, explaining that her refusal to move caused problems. She then made a point of order.
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Additionally, he explained why she was not allowed to speak, saying, “And then, the chief whip, who is supposed to maintain decorum, now raised his hand that a Senator is not properly seated and until you are properly seated…you cannot make contributions either on privileges or on rights you cannot make any contribution.”
Adaramodu said woman persisted in resisting despite being ordered to move, saying, “Even as she was prevented from making contributions, she was still shouting then it is prerogative, it is there in our order that the presiding officer can order you out.”
However, Akpabio was unable to implement disciplinary actions because of the intervention of other MPs.
However, she was not ordered to leave by the Senate President, who was the presiding officer, after the other senators won the case. Thus, she had the chance to sit in the incorrect seat during that day’s plenary. You cannot ask for a point of order when you’re not in order.”
He concluded by stressing the importance of maintaining Senate protocols, “You cannot say you can talk from anywhere. If that is possible, it means that a Senator could be at the market and be raising his or her hands.”
