‘Excluding My Name Was Not Mere Oversight’ – Senator Natasha Speaks On Clash With National Assembly Staff

Senator representing Kogi Central at the National Assembly, Natasha Akpoti-Uduaghan, has broken her silence after videos of her clashing with some National Assembly staff surfaced online.

Orange reports that Natasha, in a post via her Instagram page, stated that she was conspicuously exempted from the Senate Committee meeting of the North Central Development Commission (NCDC) where the lawmakers interfaced with the Commission and deliberated on its 2026 budget.

The Senator said she only got wind of the meeting 20 minutes before it was to conclude, and as a serving Senator from the region, she was meant to be part of it.

Natasha emphasised that he was neither informed of the meeting nor included in the Senate’s NCDC communication platform, where official information is being shared.

The lawmaker also stated that her name was not included in the register of lawmakers to attend the budget screening, stressing that it was not mere oversight but deliberate omission.

She wrote, “Today, the Senate Committee on the North Central Development Commission (NCDC), chaired by Titus Zam, convened to interface with the Commission and deliberate on its 2026 budget proposal.

“I was neither notified nor invited. I became aware of the meeting barely twenty minutes before it ended. By the time I arrived at the National Assembly, I met members of the NCDC management exiting the Senate Complex. I immediately proceeded to Room 431 in an effort to participate in what remained of the session, only to be informed by four committee staff that the meeting had concluded.

“When I demanded to know why I was excluded despite being a senator from the North Central zone, I was told it was likely an “oversight” by the committee clerk.

“However, upon requesting the attendance register, I discovered that my name was not even listed among senators from the North Central zone. This was not a mere oversight. It was a deliberate omission of record.

“I proceeded to the Chairman’s office to seek clarification. In the presence of three other individuals, I confronted what I consider a deliberate attempt to sideline me — and by extension, the people of Kogi Central — from a critical budgetary process directly affecting our district.

“I raised clear concerns:

• I was not notified.

• I was not invited.

• My name was excluded from the committee register.

• I was not added to the Senate’s NCDC communication platform where official information is shared.”