Ahead of the return of Senator Natasha Akpoti to the Senate floor in line with the ruling of the Federal High Court Abuja, the Nigerian Senate has announced a new change in its committee leadership.
At today’s plenary session, the President of the Senate, Senator Godswill Akpabio, officially named Distinguished Senator Aniekan Bassey as the new Chairman of the Senate Committee on Diaspora and Non-Governmental Organisations (NGOs).
Senator Bassey replaces Senator Natasha Akpoti-Uduaghan, whose position had remained uncertain following her recent suspension. It will be recalled that in a minor reshuffle earlier in February, Senator Natasha was moved from the Senate Committee on Local Content to chair the Committee on Diaspora and NGOs.
While no official reason was given for her latest replacement, the move is believed to be connected to the unresolved status of her suspension from the Red Chamber. A ruling by Justice Binta Nyako of the Federal High Court had ordered Senator Natasha’s reinstatement, directing her to tender an apology to the Senate over her conduct. However, the Senate maintains that it has yet to receive a certified true copy of the judgment.
With the new reshuffle taking immediate effect, Senator Aniekan Bassey is expected to bring his wealth of experience and leadership to bear in driving the committee’s legislative mandate on diaspora affairs and civil society engagement.
The days ahead remain uncertain as Nigerians continue to watch the debacle of her conflict with the leadership of the senate.