Senate Erupts as Oshiomhole, Akpabio Silence Natasha on Abortion Debate.
The Senate plenary on Tuesday witnessed a dramatic showdown after the Senator representing Kogi Central, Natasha Akpoti-Uduaghan, was prevented from contributing to a debate on a motion concerning abortion, leading to a sharp objection from Senator Adams Oshiomhole.
The incident occurred shortly after the Senate President, Godswill Akpabio, had declared the motion stepped down and moved on to other affairs.
At this point, Senator Akpoti-Uduaghan, visibly displeased, sought the permission of the Presiding Officer to make a comment.
“Mr. Senate President, please, may I speak,” she appealed. “I’m a woman, and abortion has to do with women. It’s very important, sir.”
In his initial response, Senator Akpabio appeared to grant her a brief audience. “This has been stepped down in totality, distinguished senator, but if you have anything to add, you can say,” he stated.
However, this concession was immediately challenged by Senator Adams Oshiomhole (Edo North), who rose swiftly to cite a point of order. In a firm submission, Oshiomhole insisted that the rules of the chamber must be respected without exception.
“Mr. President, we’ve been tutored over and over that when a matter has been concluded and you’ve dropped the gavel, if you grant an exception to distinguished Senator Natasha, then you must extend the same extension to us which makes our rule meaningless,” Oshiomhole maintained.
He pressed further, stating, “The rule should be obeyed. We have said no discussion, and she should obey the rule.”
Faced with this robust point of order, Senate President Akpabio altered his position, offering a clarification for his initial leniency.
“I am not a spirit to know what the senator wants to say. If I knew, I would have referred her to Rule 52, Subsection 6,” Akpabio explained, referencing the specific parliamentary rule that forbids revisiting a concluded matter.
He then issued his final ruling: “Since the Senate has come to a conclusion, it shall be out of order.”
With that, Senator Akpoti-Uduaghan’s attempt to speak on the sensitive issue was formally overruled, bringing the tense exchange to a close but leaving in its wake pointed questions about procedure and representation in the upper legislative chamber.
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