Abba Moro Defends Senate Order and Rule of Law Amid Benue and Chamber Disputes

Senate Minority Leader, Senator Abba Moro, has stood firm on his commitment to upholding legislative order and the rule of law, addressing two recent controversies involving both the Nigerian Senate and Benue State politics.

In an interview on Hard Copy with Channels Television, Moro tackled the uproar over Senator Natasha Akpoti-Uduaghan’s refusal to comply with a new Senate seating arrangement and the controversy surrounding the attempted removal of Benue State’s Chief Judge.

He explained that seating changes in the Senate followed recent party defections. While most senators accepted their new seats, Natasha defied the adjustment and insisted on remaining in her previous position. As Minority Leader, Moro tried to intervene.

“I went to Natasha and said, ‘My sister, go to the seat that has been assigned to you; that is the rule of the Senate.’” But she pushed back. “She told me openly to go and tell those who sent me that she will not leave the seat,” he recalled, describing the incident as a challenge to Senate discipline.

Turning to his home state, Moro addressed the Benue State Assembly’s attempt to remove the Chief Judge without following legal procedures. He pointed out that even the state governor had distanced himself from the move.

“The governor himself said he never accepted that recommendation because he knew it was wrong,” Moro noted.

He strongly rejected the idea of staying silent on unlawful actions, especially from lower-ranking legislators. “As a senator—and my junior ones in the House were violating the law, I keep quiet? No way,” he declared.

Moro’s remarks underscore his stance that laws and institutional rules must be respected, whether in the Senate chamber or state assemblies—regardless of political tension or pressure.