Few days after suspended Senator Natasha Akpoti-Uduaghan accused him of working with former Governor of Kogi State, Yahaya Bello, to assassinate her, Senate President Godswill Akpabio has denied the allegation, labeling it as false and malicious.
Akpabio said this in a statement issued in Abuja by his media aide, Eseme Eyiboh, on Friday.
Persecondnews had reported that Akpoti-Uduaghan made the allegation on April 1 while speaking to her supporters in her hometown in Kogi State.
She alleged that the Senate President sought the help of Bello to ‘assassinate her in Kogi State rather than in Abuja,’ a claim the state government has since debunked.
Akpabio said there was no iota of truth in her allegation, which he described as a deliberate smear campaign to make him look like a bad leader in the eye of the public.
He said: “This outrageous accusation is not only false but a complete fabrication and deeply irresponsible and dangerous attempt to provoke public unrest, attract media attention, and discredit the person and office of the President of the Senate for ulterior motives.
“It is important to remind the public that this same individual had previously made an unsubstantiated accusation of sexual harassment against me, a claim she seems to have abandoned without explanation.
“Having failed to gain traction with that narrative, she has now escalated her campaign of misinformation to a defamatory dimension.
“It is a matter of public record that she has previously made assassination allegations against Yaya Bello and others in 2019 and 2023, along with multiple unsubstantiated claims of sexual harassment against other dignitaries.
“Her recurring persecution narrative and evident lying complex should not be weaponised to malign individuals or destroy hard-earned reputations.”
Akpabio demanded that Akpoti-Uduaghan should apologize and retract her statement or face a legal action.
The disagreement between Sen. Akpabio and Sen. Natasha began on Thursday, February 20, after her seat was reassigned due to a reshuffle caused by opposition members defecting to the majority wing.
She declined to move to her newly assigned seat, sparking a heated debate.
She further escalated the feud by featuring on Arise News channel’s ”The Morning Show” on Friday, February 28, where she publicly accused Akpabio of sexual harassment.
The Senate, after reviewing the report of its Committee on Ethics, Privileges, and Public Affairs regarding Natasha’s conduct, imposed a six-month suspension on her on Thursday, March 6, 2025.
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