The Senator representing Kogi Central, Natasha Akpoti-Uduaghan, will face the Senate Disciplinary Panel following a recent heated exchange with the Senate President, Godswill Akpabio.

The Panel is expected to report back to the upper legislative chamber in two weeks.

It will be recalled that tensions flared during a heated exchange between Akpabio and Akpoti-Uduaghan over a sudden change in seating arrangements within the chamber.

The disagreement arose when Akpoti-Uduaghan’s seat was reassigned at the start of the plenary session, a move she resisted.

In response, Senate Chief Whip Tahir Monguno defended the decision, citing constitutional provisions and explaining that the adjustment was necessary to accommodate opposition lawmakers who had recently defected to the ruling party.

Monguno further warned that failure to comply with the new seating arrangement could have consequences, including restricting her ability to participate in legislative discussions.

Akpabio supported Monguno’s stance, and when Akpoti-Uduaghan attempted to speak from her original seat, she was denied recognition.

The situation intensified as Akpoti-Uduaghan strongly objected, arguing that her parliamentary rights had been infringed upon.

“I don’t care if I am silenced. I am not afraid of you. You have denied me my privilege,” the Kogi lawmaker said.

Akpoti-Uduaghan created a commotion before being surrounded by the sergeant-at-arms, who attempted to escort her out of the plenary session.

Order was eventually restored after the sound system was deactivated, allowing calm to return to the chamber.

Meanwhile, Akpabio has rejected calls from some senators to impose sanctions on Akpoti-Uduaghan for her disruptive conduct during the session.

According to the Senate’s standing rules, the authority to assign seats within the chamber rests solely with the Senate President.

Clearly displeased with the change in her seating arrangement, Akpoti-Uduaghan accused Akpabio of repeatedly showing her disrespect.

Raising her voice in protest, she recalled a previous incident during a plenary session in 2024 when Akpabio remarked, “Senator Natasha, we are not in the nightclub.”

“Since the nightclub incident, you have been disrespecting me. How can you change my seat without my consent.

I am not afraid of you,” she screamed.

A visibly unsettled Akpabio watched as the female senator continued her outburst, while some of her colleagues attempted to pacify her.

Efforts by certain senators to escalate the situation were firmly resisted by Akpabio. Senator Sunday Karimi (Kogi West) urged the Senate President to initiate disciplinary action against Akpoti-Uduaghan, but Akpabio refused.

At one point, Akpabio warned that she would be removed from the chamber if she persisted in her verbal confrontation. Eventually, order was restored as the lawmaker took her reassigned seat.

The National Union of Petroleum and Natural Gas Workers (NUPENG) says it is engaging the Lagos State Government to resolve the ongoing issue of towed trucks.

It said that the negotiation aims to prevent disruptions in fuel distribution, which could lead to widespread scarcity.

In an interview on Tuesday in Lagos, General Secretary, NUPENG, Mr Olawale Afolabi, explained that the union had withdrawn its services in response to the recent attacks and arrests of tanker drivers by security personnel from the Lagos State Government.

Afolabi reassured that the situation would be resolved with the state authorities and that the towed trucks would be released to the union as promised by the government.

On Feb. 22, the Lagos State Task Force towed away several trucks and arrested several members of the Petroleum Tanker Drivers (PTD) Association, a branch of NUPENG, near the Dangote Refinery in Ibeju-Lekki for parking on the highways.

Afolabi added that a meeting is ongoing between NUPENG and the Lagos State Government, with both parties hopeful of reaching an agreement that will enable depot operations to resume.

He, however, said that the outcome of these talks remains uncertain, and stakeholders are eagerly awaiting further updates.

Similarly, Mr Tayo Aboyeji, the Chairman of NUPENG, Lagos branch, confirmed that the service withdrawal was in response to the mistreatment and arrest of tanker drivers by security personnel.

He clarified that the union had previously instructed drivers not to operate at night to avoid accidents and hijackings.

He said that in spite of this, drivers who stopped to rest were reportedly targeted by security officers.

“We had instructed tanker drivers not to travel at night to avoid accidents and hijackings.

“But when drivers parked to rest, security personnel towed their vehicles, arrested our members, and even damaged the union’s patrol vehicle,” Aboyeji said.

He added, “As a result, we decided to suspend services in the state until the government is ready to provide a safe and convenient space for tanker drivers, ensuring that such incidents do not occur again.”

Aboyeji assured that the national leadership of the union is in talks with the state government and that the matter would be resolved once discussions are concluded.

“There are ongoing discussions, and if they are completed today or tomorrow, the issue will be resolved,” he stated.

The National Bureau of Statistics (NBS) has reported that Nigeria’s annual gross domestic product (GDP) grew by 3.84 per cent in the fourth quarter (Q4) of 2024, compared to 3.46 per cent in Q3 2024 and 3.46 per cent in Q4 2023.

According to the NBS report, the GDP growth was primarily driven by the services sector, which expanded by 5.37 per cent and contributed 57.38 per cent to the overall GDP.

“The agriculture sector grew by 1.76%, from the growth of 2.10% recorded in the fourth quarter of 2023,” the report stated.

In contrast, “The growth of the industry sector was 2.00%, a decline from 3.86% recorded in the fourth quarter of 2023.”

The services sector’s contribution to the aggregate GDP in Q4 2024 was higher compared to the same quarter in 2023.

Overall, the annual GDP growth for 2024 was 3.40%, up from 2.74% in 2023.

The NBS also reported that the nominal GDP reached N78.37 trillion in Q4 2024, compared to N65,908,258.59 million in Q4 2023, representing a year-on-year nominal growth of 18.91%.

Oil Production Drops, Non-Oil Sector Contributes Significantly

The NBS report indicated that Nigeria’s average oil production in Q4 2024 was 1.54 million barrels per day (mbpd).

This is “0.03million bpd lower” than the Q4 2023 production volume of 1.56mbpd and “0.06mbd higher than the daily average production of 1.47mbpd recorded in the third quarter of 2024”.

“The real growth of the oil sector was 1.48% (year-on-year) in Q4 2024, indicating a decrease of 10.64% points relative to the rate recorded in the corresponding quarter of 2023 (12.11%),” the report explained.

The oil sector contributed 4.60 per cent to Nigeria’s total real GDP in Q4 2024, down from 4.70 per cent in the same period in 2023 and 5.57 per cent in the previous quarter.

The non-oil sector grew by 3.96 per cent in real terms in Q4 2024, higher than the 3.07 per cent in Q4 2023 and 3.37 per cent in Q3 2024.

The growth was primarily driven by financial and insurance institutions, information and communication (telecommunications), agriculture (crop production), transportation and storage (road transport), trade, and manufacturing.

“In real terms, the non-oil sector contributed 95.40% to the nation’s GDP in the fourth quarter of 2024, higher than the share recorded in the fourth quarter of 2023 which was 95.30% and higher than the third quarter of 2024 recorded as 94.43%,” the NBS stated.

This report follows the NBS announcement on February 18th that Nigeria’s inflation rate decreased from 34.8 per cent in December 2024 to 24.48 per cent in January 2025.