Embattled President of the Senate, Senator Godswill Akpabio has sent the clerk of the Senate, Mr. Andrew Ogbonnaya Nwoba out of the chamber.
A furious Akpabio, it was learnt sent Nwoba out of the red Chamber for an alleged failure to inform the Kogi central Senator, Natasha Akpoti-Uduaghan of the change of her seat prior to resumption of plenary on the fateful day.
Natasha had objected to the new siting arrangement because apart from the obscure position, she was not notified according to the rules.
The situation led to uproar and altercation with the Senate President which resulted in her six months suspension from the Senate.
It was upon this administrative lapses that Akpabio ordered the clerk of the Senate out of the chamber.
Nwoba however escaped sack because of the bureaucratic civil service rules but Akpabio has directed him to go for further training on the job.
In place of Nwoba, Deputy clerk of the senate, Mr. Rawlings Agada will function in acting capacity as clerk of the Senate.
A senior National Assembly staff who preferred anonymity told THE RADARR that Mr. Nwoba “was not officially suspended but was relieved of his duties to attend further trainings that will enable him function efficiently as clerk of the Senate.
Tension has since enveloped the Senate after the suspension of Senator Natasha and the subsequent exit of the Senate clerk.
Meanwhile, informed sources confirmed that some of the ranking Senators are considering political solutions to the Akpabio/Nastasha tango to enable the upper legislative chamber work as a team.
They are also working on the possibilities of directing both parties to withdraw all cases in court in order to secure amicable settlement.
If this report is true, Senator Natasha was right to protest her seat re-allocation without prior formal information.
The truth is that this Akpabio-Natasha imbroglio has seriously damaged the reputation of the Senate for mishandling it. Akpabio’s tough guy attitude fuels the belief that he’s guilty of sexually harassing her. He should have stepped aside, and allowed independent investigation.