Senator Natasha Akpoti-Uduaghan has alleged a sustained pattern of actions aimed at frustrating and undermining her legislative duties in the Senate, following her reported exclusion from a key committee meeting on the 2026 budget proposal of the North Central Development Commission (NCDC).
The lawmaker, who represents Kogi Central, said the latest incident occurred during a meeting of the Senate Committee on the NCDC, chaired by Senator Titus Zam, convened to interface with the Commission’s management over its proposed budget.
In a statement she shared Monday 16th February 2026 on her Facebook page, Akpoti-Uduaghan said she was neither notified nor invited to the session and only became aware of it about 20 minutes before it ended. By the time she arrived at the National Assembly, she said she met members of the NCDC management exiting the Senate Complex.
She added that upon proceeding to the designated venue of the meeting, she was informed by committee staff that the session had already concluded.
The senator expressed concern that her name was not listed in the committee’s attendance register among lawmakers from the North Central zone, describing the omission as deliberate.
“When I demanded to know why I was excluded, 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,” she said.
Akpoti-Uduaghan stated that she subsequently visited the office of the committee chairman to seek clarification, insisting that the development effectively sidelined her and the people of Kogi Central from a budgetary process with direct implications for the district.
She further alleged that her exclusion extended to not being added to the Senate’s NCDC communication platform where official updates are shared.
Responding, she said Senator Zam maintained that being a senator from the North Central zone does not automatically confer membership of the committee and that he operates within established protocols.
The lawmaker also claimed that a mobile phone used by her staff to document the exchange was seized and handed over to the chairman, prompting her to demand its immediate return.
Describing the episode as part of a broader pattern since her return to the Senate, Akpoti-Uduaghan vowed not to be intimidated or silenced.
“My mandate is from the people, not from any committee structure. I will continue to pursue every lawful avenue to ensure that Kogi Central receives its fair share of socio-economic development,” she stated.
She reiterated her commitment to protecting the interests of her constituents and ensuring that no district within the North Central zone is excluded from development initiatives tied to the NCDC.
