Senate Removes Natasha as Diaspora Committee Chairman.

The Senate on Thursday removed Senator Natasha Akpoti-Uduaghan as chairman of the senate committee on diaspora and NGOs.She was replaced with Senator Aniekan Bassey, who represents Akwa Ibom North-East Senatorial District.

Senate President Godswill Akpabio announced the decision during plenary with no official reason given for the change.”The new chairman is Distinguished Senator Aniekan Bassey, and it will take effect from today,” he said.

While hinting at a broader reshuffling of committee positions, Akpabio said a review of vice chairmanships would be undertaken in the coming week to ensure a more equitable distribution.“We will make some changes to our vice chairmanship positions next week. Some of the senators have two vice chairmanship positions. Every senator should either be a chairman or a vice chairman so we balance the situation,” he said.

Following her earlier removal as Chair of the Senate Committee on Local Content, Senator Akpoti-Uduaghan, who represents Kogi Central, was appointed chair of the Diaspora and NGOs Committee on February 4, 2025.

Akpoti-Uduaghan was suspended in March over alleged gross misconduct following an altercation with Akpabio over seating arrangements.She has yet to resume her legislative duties despite a recent court ruling that voided her suspension.

In an interview on Tuesday, she said she was awaiting the Certified True Copy of the judgment before officially returning to plenary, citing legal advice and respect for institutional process.