The Chairman of the Senate Committee on the North Central Development Commission (NCDC), Titus Zam, has accused Senator Natasha Akpoti-Uduaghan (PDP, Kogi Central) of misunderstanding Senate procedures following a disagreement over the committee’s membership.
Zam stated that Senator Akpoti-Uduaghan is not a member of the NCDC committee and therefore could not have been invited to participate in its recent budget defence meeting.
He made the clarification while responding to enquiries concerning a reported confrontation involving aides of the Kogi Central lawmaker and staff attached to his office.
According to Zam, the dispute arose after the committee had already concluded its budget defence session. He explained that two senators from Kogi State are officially part of the panel, including Senator Sani Jubrin, who serves as Vice Chairman, and Senator Sunny Karimi, who is also a member.
“She’s not a member of the committee and was not invited to the budget defence meeting. Two senators from Kogi are members—indeed, Senator Sani Jubrin is my vice chairman of NCDC, while Sen Sunny Karimi is a member.
“After the budget defence meeting, Sen Natasha came several hours later to complain against her not being invited. I told her she’s not a member, so she couldn’t have been invited.
“Many other north central senators are not members because senators from other zones in Nigeria are mixed up in all the development commission committees for the purpose of national character.
“For example, Senator Pam from Plateau State too is not a member of NCDC, because Senators Plang and Lalong are members.
“She, as usual, ignorantly claimed that being from north central Nigeria, she ought to have been a member.
“A brief argument ensued, and I told her to approach the Senate committee on selection and lodge her complaint. After a back-and-forth movement, she left my office.”
Zam maintained that committee composition in the Senate reflects the principle of federal character, with lawmakers from different geopolitical zones distributed across various development commissions to ensure national balance.
The incident followed a protest led by Senator Akpoti-Uduaghan to the NCDC Committee Chairman’s office. She had alleged that there was a deliberate attempt to sideline her and deny her rights and privileges as the elected representative of Kogi Central in the Senate.
The disagreement has since sparked debate within political circles, with observers noting the importance of clarity in committee assignments and adherence to Senate rules to prevent further misunderstandings.
What you should know
Senator Titus Zam has defended the composition of the Senate NCDC committee, stating that Senator Natasha Akpoti-Uduaghan is not a member and therefore was not invited to its budget defence meeting.
Zam attributed the disagreement to a misunderstanding of Senate procedures, while Akpoti-Uduaghan had alleged attempts to marginalise her as Kogi Central’s representative.
