A heated confrontation broke out in the Nigerian Senate yesterday between Senator Natasha Akpoti-Uduaghan, representing Kogi Central, and Senator Titus Zam, Chairman of the Senate Committee on the North Central Development Commission (NCDC), following Akpoti-Uduaghan’s exclusion from the committee.
According to eyewitnesses, the altercation happened just after a scheduled committee meeting. Akpoti-Uduaghan, accompanied by her aides and security staff, allegedly tried to enter Senator Zam’s office to demand an explanation for her omission from the committee. However, Zam’s security team and legislative aides barred her entry, leading to a tense standoff.
“She tried to advance into the office, but our security team prevented her,” one of Zam’s aides told reporters.
Witnesses further reported that Akpoti-Uduaghan threatened to go live on social media to air her grievances, which heightened the situation. The confrontation briefly turned physical, with some aides from both sides exchanging slaps. Akpoti-Uduaghan then sat in Zam’s doorway, effectively blocking access to his office while Zam remained inside.
Order was eventually restored after Senator Niyi Adegbonmire, Chairman of the Senate Committee on Judiciary, Human Rights and Legal Matters, intervened and persuaded Akpoti-Uduaghan to leave.
Sources indicate that Senate committee membership is limited to two senators per state, selected from Nigeria’s six geopolitical zones—a restriction that observers believe may have fueled the dispute.
As of now, neither Senator Akpoti-Uduaghan nor Senator Zam has released a public statement regarding the incident.
