Akpoti-Uduaghan Alleges Marginalisation in Senate Committee as N140bn NCDC Budget Scales Screening

• Confronts Committee Chair over omission from North Central panel

•Senate approves 2026 allocation, orders agriculture, security priority

Sunday Aborisade in Abuja

Tensions flared in the Senate on Monday as Senator Natasha Akpoti-Uduaghan openly protested a calculated attempt to sideline her from the activities of the Senate Committee on the North Central Development Commission (NCDC), even as the panel approved the commission’s N140 billion budget proposal for the 2026 fiscal year.

The unfolding drama which briefly disrupted proceedings around the committee’s budget defence session has thrown fresh light on internal frictions within the 10th Senate over committee assignments and the delicate politics of regional development oversight.

Akpoti-Uduaghan who represents Kogi Central was said to have arrived at the committee venue fully prepared to participate in the budget defence of the NCDC, a commission established to address developmental challenges across the North Central geopolitical zone.

However, upon checking the official attendance register, she reportedly discovered that her name was not listed among committee members.

Taken aback, the senator, according to a statement from her media office, immediately sought clarification from the Committee Clerk, only to be told that the official was in the office of the Committee Chairman, Senator Titus Zam.

The statement added she thereafter proceeded to the chairman’s office to demand an explanation for her omission.

Sources who witnessed that face-off said Akpoti-Uduaghan allegedly pressed for the procedural basis upon which she was excluded from a committee whose mandate directly affects her constituency and the wider North Central region.

She was said to have been informed the action was taken based on “instructions from higher authorities,” though no further clarification was offered.

Visibly displeased, the lawmaker reportedly described the development as part of a recurring pattern of marginalisation, insisting that all senators are constitutionally equal in status, authority and mandate.

“How can I be excluded from deliberations concerning a commission that directly impacts my region?” she was quoted as asking, questioning both the constitutional and procedural propriety of the decision.

The situation reportedly escalated when aides attached to the committee chairman confronted members of her media team.

Akpoti-Uduaghan alleged that about six aides, including the chairman’s secretary, attempted to seize the phone of her cinematographer and engaged in verbal hostility, an action she described as “unacceptable and unbecoming of a legislative institution.”

Although the matter did not degenerate into a full-blown confrontation on the Senate floor, it sparked hushed conversations among lawmakers and staff, with some calling for greater transparency in committee administration and clearer communication regarding membership and participation rights.

Earlier, the committee proceeded with the defence of the NCDC’s 2026 budget estimates behind closed doors.

After the session, Zam addressed journalists, confirming the committee had considered and approved the commission’s proposed N140 billion expenditures for the coming fiscal year.

Zam said, “We have considered all the items in the estimates and found them very relevant and useful for the North Central region.

“As a committee overseeing this commission, we have requested them to prioritise their expenditures in line with their mandate so that the people of the North Central region will benefit from their services and have value for the resources allocated to them.”

The chairman stressed that the commission’s mandate must not exist “in a vacuum,” noting that its interventions should strategically target critical sectors of the regional economy.

He identified agriculture, security, health, education, public infrastructure and social services as priority areas requiring urgent attention.

“You know that the North Central is predominantly agricultural, so agriculture must take pride of place, and it has been embedded in their budget,” Zam stated.

“They are also thinking about working with security experts and other stakeholders in the region to support security agencies in delivering on their mandate.”

However, the committee expressed dissatisfaction with the implementation of the capital component of the 2025 budget, describing the performance as below expectations.

Zam noted the implementation challenges were not peculiar to the commission but reflected broader national budget execution constraints.

According to him, the committee nonetheless resolved to approve the 2026 estimate in the interest of sustaining development efforts in the region.

“This is the resolution of the committee: we hereby approve the total figure of N140 billion for the 2026 financial year for the commission,” he declared.

Political observers say the controversy surrounding Akpoti-Uduaghan’s alleged exclusion could cast a shadow over the commission’s oversight process if not promptly addressed.

The NCDC plays a pivotal role in coordinating federal interventions in a region grappling with farmer-herder conflicts, infrastructure deficits and economic dislocation.

For many in the North Central zone, effective legislative oversight is critical to ensuring that the substantial allocation translates into tangible improvements on the ground.

Akpoti-Uduaghan has vowed to continue demanding equitable treatment within the Senate, framing her protest not as a personal grievance but as a defence of institutional integrity and the electoral mandate given to her by the people of Kogi Central.

As the 10th Senate navigates competing interests and high-stakes budget decisions, Monday’s episode underscores a deeper undercurrent: that beyond headline figures and appropriations, the politics of inclusion and representation within parliamentary committees may prove just as consequential as the funds they approve.