The Senate has appointed Senator Aniekan Bassey as the new Chairman of the Committee on Diaspora and Non-Governmental Organisations.
Senate President Godswill Akpabio made the announcement during Thursday’s plenary, confirming Bassey’s replacement of Senator Natasha Akpoti-Uduaghan, who is currently under suspension.
Akpoti-Uduaghan was reassigned to the Diaspora and NGOs Committee in February, following her removal as Chair of the Senate Committee on Local Content in a minor reshuffle.
Senator Bassey represents Akwa Ibom North-East Senatorial District.
Although no formal reason was provided for Thursday’s replacement, the decision is widely believed to be linked to Akpoti-Uduaghan’s unresolved suspension.
In May, Justice Binta Nyako of the Federal High Court ordered her reinstatement and directed her to apologise to the Senate.
However, the Senate maintains it has not received a certified true copy of the judgment.
Akpoti-Uduaghan, who represents Kogi Central, has yet to resume plenary duties despite the ruling.
In a televised interview on Tuesday, she explained she was waiting for the certified copy of the court order, based on legal advice and respect for due process.
While the Federal High Court described her suspension as “excessive and unconstitutional,” a legal opinion dated July 5, attributed to Senate counsel Paul Daudu (SAN), argued that the ruling lacked a binding directive for enforcement.
Akpoti-Uduaghan, one of only three female senators in the current National Assembly, said the delay in her reinstatement was not just a denial of her mandate, but a setback for inclusive democratic representation.
“By keeping me out of the chambers, the Senate is not just silencing Kogi Central, it’s denying Nigerian women and children representation. We are only three female senators now, down from eight,” she said.
