Senate President Godswill Akpabio has responded to fresh allegations made against him by Kogi Central Senator Natasha Akpoti-Uduaghan.
The senator claimed on Tuesday that Akpabio instructed former Kogi State Governor Yahaya Bello to kill her. She also accused the current governor, Usman Ododo, of being involved in the plot.
Speaking to her supporters during a rally in her hometown of Ihima, Okehi Local Government Area, Kogi State, on Tuesday, Akpoti-Uduaghan alleged that Akpabio was behind the attempt to recall her from the Senate, working alongside other leaders in the All Progressives Congress (APC).
She said, “Let me say this now. On the 14th of March at 10:30 p.m.—mind you, two days before that, on the 12th—Akpabio spoke to Governor Ododo to recall me. But he told him it would be impossible because the masses are with her, the people are with her. But Akpabio was not satisfied.
“He then called for Yahaya Bello. And it was actually Senator Asuquo (Asuquo Ekpenyong, Cross River South) from Cross River who drove Yahaya Bello from Hilton Hotel. I was informed of everything. And when I got to know—hold on. The meeting was in two parts. He told him to commence my recall and that he was going to fund it. Of course, money changed hands that night.
“The second thing he told him was that he should try and kill me. I didn’t make this public, but I wrote to the IG of Police. And Akpabio told Yahaya Bello—I am standing on what I’ve said. He told him that he should make sure that killing me does not happen in Abuja, that it should be done here so it will seem as if it’s the people that killed me here. I didn’t make that public, but we did notify the security agencies of that.”
In response, Akpabio stated that he would not engage in any argument with the suspended senator. His media aide, Eseme Eyiboh, made this clarification.
He said, “Anything concerning Natasha within the purview of the law is subjudice because there is no way you will comment on it without linking it to the President of the Senate, who is also a party to the suit.”
When reminded that despite being in court, Natasha continued to express her frustration and blame Akpabio for her situation, Eyiboh hesitated before replying.
“That shows the level of respect she has for the rule of law herself. We cannot say anything more than that,” he said.