Senate Appoints Aniekan Bassey as New Head of Diaspora and NGOs Committee.

The Nigerian Senate has officially appointed Senator Aniekan Bassey to lead the Committee on Diaspora and Non-Governmental Organisations, replacing Senator Natasha Akpoti-Uduaghan, who remains suspended.

Senate President Godswill Akpabio made the announcement during Thursday’s plenary session. Bassey, who represents Akwa Ibom North-East, steps into the role previously held by Akpoti-Uduaghan, a senator from Kogi Central.

Akpoti-Uduaghan was initially moved to the Diaspora and NGOs Committee in February following a minor committee reshuffle that saw her removed as Chair of the Local Content Committee. Her latest removal comes amid her ongoing suspension from Senate activities, although no official explanation was given during the session.

In May, a Federal High Court ruling by Justice Binta Nyako declared her suspension unconstitutional and ordered her reinstatement. The court also directed her to issue an apology to the Senate. However, the Senate has maintained that it is yet to receive a certified true copy of the ruling and therefore has not acted on the judgment.

Despite the court's declaration that her suspension was “excessive and unconstitutional,” a legal opinion dated July 5 from Senate legal adviser Paul Daudu (SAN) claims the judgment does not compel the Senate to act on her reinstatement.

Akpoti-Uduaghan has not returned to her duties and says she is awaiting official documentation of the court’s decision. In a recent televised interview, she stressed her commitment to due process, saying she would return only after receiving the certified judgment on legal advice.

Highlighting the broader implications of her continued absence, she expressed concern over the reduced female presence in the Senate. “This is not just about me or Kogi Central. Silencing me means silencing women and children across Nigeria. We are now only three women in the entire Senate, down from eight,” she stated.

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