SENATOR NATASHA AKPOTI UDUAGHAN CLASHES WITH SENATOR ZAM OVER COMMITTEE MEMBERSHIP

SENATOR NATASHA AKPOTI-UDUAGHAN CLASHES WITH SENATOR ZAM OVER COMMITTEE MEMBERSHIP
A tense confrontation erupted at the National Assembly in Abuja on Monday, February 16, 2026, as Senator Natasha Akpoti-Uduaghan (PDP-Kogi Central) clashed with Senator Titus Zam (APC-Benue North-West), Chairman of the Senate Committee on the North Central Development Commission (NCDC). The standoff followed allegations that Akpoti-Uduaghan was excluded from the committee’s membership and sessions. The drama began after Akpoti-Uduaghan arrived at a scheduled NCDC committee session only to find that the meeting had already concluded and her name was not on the official attendance list. Seeking clarification, she went to the office of Senator Zam, where she was reportedly denied entry by security and legislative aides, prompting a heated dispute. Frustrated, she blocked access to Zam’s office doorway, sitting in front of it and refusing to allow entry or exit a move that temporarily disrupted Senate business. At one point, tensions escalated into a physical scuffle between aides of both senators, with eyewitnesses describing raised voices and heated exchanges. National Assembly security officials eventually intervened to restore order after intense back-and-forth between staff and aides from both sides. Senator Akpoti-Uduaghan said her exclusion from the committee whose work impacts her North Central constituents was unconstitutional and unfair, describing it as part of what she called a recurring pattern of marginalisation in the Senate. In a statement relayed by her aide, she insisted:
“All senators are constitutionally equal in status, authority and mandate… I will not watch colleagues undermine my people.”
Akpoti-Uduaghan also alleged that aides attached to Senator Zam’s office seized recording equipment from her media team and engaged in hostile verbal confrontations.
The incident underscores growing tensions within the Senate over committee appointments, which lawmakers see as critical for legislative influence, oversight duties, and constituency representation. Critics argue that perceived exclusion from key committees can weaken a senator’s ability to advocate for their region’s interests. This clash follows a series of high-profile disagreements involving Senator Akpoti-Uduaghan in the recent past over Senate seating arrangements and legislative processes.
So far, neither Senator Akpoti-Uduaghan nor Senator Zam has issued a detailed public statement addressing the clash.
Senate leadership has yet to release an official comment on the matter.