Akpoti-Uduaghan accuses Akpabio, Bello of orchestrating recall bid

Senator Natasha Akpoti-Uduaghan has accused Senate President Godswill Akpabio and former Kogi State governor Yahaya Bello of orchestrating efforts to recall her from the Senate, allegedly using “fake constituents” to drive the process.

In a statement made available to The Guardian on Wednesday, the senator representing Kogi Central questioned how the Senate President could align himself with “one of the EFCC’s most wanted persons” in a bid to undermine her mandate.

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Akpoti-Uduaghan, who received a rousing welcome from supporters in Ihima, Okehi Local Government Area, despite an official ban on rallies, thanked her constituents for standing by her amid what she described as intimidation.

She challenged Bello to explain the origins of the names being used in the recall petition against her, insisting that all available evidence pointed to him as the mastermind. The senator recalled the former governor’s alleged attempts to frustrate her political ambitions during the 2023 general elections, accusing him of orchestrating attacks against her.

“The former governor should focus on clearing his name over allegations of fraud…instead of attempting to destabilise the mandate freely given to me by the people of Kogi Central,” the statement read.

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Akpoti-Uduaghan dismissed the recall attempt as a continuation of Bello’s “political vendetta” and said her constituents had overwhelmingly rejected efforts to undermine their electoral decision.

“They tried to suppress the will of the people, but my people emphatically said no—no to injustice, no to oppression of women, no to a fake recall, no to Yahaya Bello and his allies,” she said.

The senator vowed to remain steadfast in her service to the people, pledging to continue providing quality representation.

The Guardian has reached out to representatives of Akpabio and Bello for their response to the allegations.