Senator Titus Zam (APC, Niger East), Chairman of the Senate Committee on the North Central Development Commission (NCDC), has categorically refuted allegations by Senator Natasha Akpoti-Uduaghan (PDP, Kogi Central) that she was deliberately excluded or marginalised from the committee’s activities.
In a statement issued on Friday, February 17, 2026, Senator Zam described the claims as “misleading and factually incorrect,” clarifying that Senator Akpoti-Uduaghan is not a member of the NCDC Senate committee and therefore was never invited to its meetings or deliberations.
The chairman stated: “Let me set the record straight: Senator Natasha Akpoti-Uduaghan is not a member of the Senate Committee on the North Central Development Commission. She was never appointed to the committee by the Senate leadership, and as such, she was never invited to any of our sessions. The committee operates strictly within its membership as constituted by the Senate President. Any claim of exclusion is therefore baseless and mischievous.”
Senator Zam further explained that the NCDC committee comprises representatives from the six North Central states (Benue, Kogi, Kwara, Nasarawa, Niger, Plateau) and the FCT, with membership determined by Senate rules and zoning principles. He insisted that the committee’s work has been transparent and focused on its mandate driving development, infrastructure and security coordination in the North Central zone.
The controversy stems from Senator Akpoti-Uduaghan’s public protest earlier this week at a committee meeting venue, where she accused the leadership of sidelining her despite Kogi Central being part of the North Central zone the NCDC serves. She described the alleged exclusion as “political vendetta” and a deliberate attempt to silence her voice on issues affecting her constituency.
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The fresh rebuttal from Senator Zam has intensified the back-and-forth, with supporters of both senators trading accusations on social media. Akpoti-Uduaghan’s camp maintains that her exclusion even if not a formal member is still unfair given the regional nature of the commission, while Zam’s allies insist the issue is purely procedural.
The Senate leadership is yet to intervene officially, but the public spat has once again highlighted ongoing tensions and factional divisions within the upper chamber.
By Ogungbayi Beedee Adeyemi
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