The Chairman of the Senate Committee on the North Central Development Commission (NCDC), Senator Titus Zam, has clarified that Senator Natasha Akpoti-Uduaghan (PDP–Kogi) is not a member of the committee and therefore was not eligible to attend its recent meeting.
Zam made the clarification following an incident in his office on Monday, February 16, after a committee meeting with leaders of the commission. Senator Natasha had protested what she described as her exclusion, claiming her name was omitted from the committee’s attendance register.
In a statement shared on her Instagram page, Senator Natasha argued that as a lawmaker from the North Central region, she should have been present at the meeting. She also alleged that she was not included in any official communication platforms where information about the committee’s activities is shared. In a viral video from the incident, she was heard expressing frustration and vowing not to allow her constituents to be undermined.
Responding to the claims, Senator Zam maintained that Senator Natasha is not a member of the NCDC committee and was not invited to the budget defence meeting.
“She is not a member of the committee and was not invited to the budget defence. Two senators from Kogi State are members. Senator Isah Jibrin serves as the Vice Chairman of the NCDC committee, while Senator Sunday Karimi is also a member,” Zam said.
He explained that committee membership reflects national character principles, with senators from different regions serving across various development commissions. According to him, not all North Central senators are members of the NCDC committee.
Zam added that after the meeting had concluded, Senator Natasha arrived several hours later to complain about not being invited. He said he advised her to direct any concerns about committee membership to the Senate Committee on Selection.
After a brief exchange, he said, she left his office.
