Chaos erupted at the National Assembly Complex in Abuja on Wednesday morning as police officers fired tear gas to disperse supporters of Senator Natasha Akpoti-Uduaghan (Kogi Central). The demonstrators had gathered as early as 8 a.m., just ahead of the Senate’s plenary session, in a show of solidarity with the embattled lawmaker.
Security operatives quickly moved in, unleashing tear gas to break up the crowd and prevent them from accessing the premises. Undeterred, the protesters relocated to the Unity Fountain, a well-known rallying point for activism in the capital.
This protest is the latest twist in the ongoing face-off between Akpoti-Uduaghan, a PDP senator, and Senate President Godswill Akpabio. The dispute, which began on February 20 over a Senate seating arrangement, escalated when Akpoti-Uduaghan was referred to the Senate’s disciplinary committee.
Firing back, the senator hit Akpabio with a staggering ₦100 billion defamation lawsuit. Things took a more dramatic turn last Friday when she publicly accused the Senate President of targeting her because she rejected his alleged sexual advances.
As the tension mounts, Akpoti-Uduaghan is set to appear before the Senate Committee on Ethics, Code of Conduct, and Public Petitions at 2 p.m. today. The political storm is far from over.
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