No Going Back!’ – Senator Nwebonyi Slams Natasha, Exposes Akpabio’s Real Reason For Her Seat Change

In an interview with Arise News on Friday, Nwebonyi criticized Akpoti-Uduaghan’s defiance, asserting, “What Natasha did is completely outside the provisions of our rules, and nothing can remedy it.”

Defending the recent seat reallocation in the Nigerian Senate, he dismissed allegations of marginalization and suppression of female voices. He emphasized that Senate rules grant the presiding officer, Senate President Godswill Akpabio, the authority to reassign seats, particularly in cases of party defections.

Nwebonyi explained that the defection of some opposition senators to the ruling All Progressives Congress (APC) led to a necessary seating adjustment to maintain order.

“The Senate is structured into two sides: the majority party sits to the right of the presiding officer, while the opposition sits to the left. Recently, some opposition senators defected to the APC, causing a shift in the seating arrangement,” he stated.

Citing Order 6, Rule 1 of the Senate rules, he clarified that Akpabio acted within his authority by reallocating seats. He further noted that multiple senators were affected by the seating changes, not just Akpoti-Uduaghan.

“Instead of moving to her newly assigned seat, Natasha refused, thereby violating Senate rules. This is an unfortunate and unwarranted incident,” Nwebonyi remarked.

He dismissed claims that Akpabio deliberately silenced Akpoti-Uduaghan, insisting that Senate rules dictate that a senator cannot speak unless seated in their designated place.

“The rules are clear, and the Senate President simply upheld them. The parliamentary practice remains the same worldwide,” he concluded.