The strained relationship between Senator Natasha Akpoti-Uduaghan (Kogi Central) and Senate President Godswill Akpabio appears to have eased, following the senator’s invitation to Akpabio and all her colleagues to attend the commissioning of her constituency projects in Kogi State next week. The apparent reconciliation became public on Thursday when Akpabio read Senator Akpoti-Uduaghan’s invitation letter during plenary.
The letter, personally signed by the Kogi senator, invited fellow lawmakers to join her in Ihima, Kogi State, on Sunday for the commissioning ceremony marking her second anniversary in the Senate. It read in part: “In marking my second year anniversary as serving Senator of the Federal Republic of Nigeria, I wish to invite fellow Distinguished Senators to join me for projects commissioning in Kogi State.”According to the letter, the meeting point for the event is her residence at Plot 101, Jimoh Akpoti Street, Ihima, Okene, Kogi State. She also noted that senators traveling by air could land at the Obajana Airstrip before proceeding to Ihima by road.
Visibly pleased, Akpabio congratulated his colleague after reading the letter, saying, “Congratulations in advance.” The invitation is being viewed as a major step toward mending the rift between the two lawmakers. Their earlier disagreement over seat reallocation in the Senate chamber had escalated into a major dispute, culminating in Akpoti-Uduaghan’s six-month suspension on March 6.
Since her return to plenary on September 24, the Kogi senator has gradually reconnected with Senate leadership, actively contributing to deliberations, including the amendment of the Criminal Code Act (Amendment) Bill, 2025, last week. However, Thursday’s public acknowledgment of her invitation by Akpabio marks the clearest indication yet that both lawmakers are moving toward reconciliation.
