Fresh controversy has emerged in the National Assembly following allegations that Senate President Godswill Akpabio ordered major television stations to stop airing footage of Senator Natasha Akpoti-Uduaghan during plenary sessions.
According to multiple journalists attached to the National Assembly Press Corps, who spoke on condition of anonymity, they were threatened and warned against showing the Kogi-born lawmaker on air.
One journalist told The Legal Observer News that reporters from NTA, AIT, Channels Television, and other media outlets were explicitly instructed not to capture or broadcast images of Senator Natasha during Senate proceedings.
“They don’t show Natasha on the screens anymore. Our colleagues were warned by Senate leaders and told there would be consequences if they did,” a source said.
Reports suggest that the alleged clampdown began shortly after a viral video in which Senator Natasha passionately called for the repatriation of Nigerian women and children held in Libyan prisons.
Another member of the press corps confirmed that the order came directly from Akpabio’s office, stating, “We confirmed from a senator that the journalists were threatened by the Senate President’s team. Everyone covering the plenary was told not to record her.”
The development underscores growing tension between Senator Akpabio and Senator Akpoti-Uduaghan, a member of the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP).
Recently, Senator Natasha moved an additional prayer during a motion on the “Urgent Need to Protect Nigerians From Trafficking, Slavery, and Human Rights Abuses in Libya,” sponsored by Senator Etim Bassey Aniekan (Akwa Ibom North-East).
In her submission, she urged the Nigerian government to collaborate with Libyan authorities to repatriate Nigerian women and their children still detained in Libyan prisons, many of whom she said were victims of sexual slavery and assault.
“Many Nigerian women in Libyan prisons were trafficked and abused. Some gave birth in prison, and their children are Nigerian by descent — they deserve protection,” she said.
The alleged media blackout is not the first controversy linking both senators. Earlier, Akpoti-Uduaghan accused Senate President Akpabio of sexual harassment, claiming that during a December 2023 visit to his residence in Uyo, Akpabio made inappropriate advances toward her in the presence of her husband — an allegation he has denied.
The latest development raises questions about press freedom and transparency within the Nigerian Senate, as journalists express concern over intimidation and censorship in the coverage of legislative proceedings.
