Journalist and gender advocate Francess Olisa-Ogbonnaya has dismissed claims that Senator Natasha Akpoti-Uduaghan is working to undermine President Bola Tinubu’s reelection bid or is plotting against a “Yoruba government” ahead of the 2027 general election.

Speaking during an interview on the Adeola Fayehun show, Olisa-Ogbonnaya described such accusations, credited to U.S.-based Dr. Sandra Duru, as unfounded and aimed at damaging Akpoti-Uduaghan’s reputation.

The senator from Kogi Central is currently at odds with Senate President Godswill Akpabio, whom she has accused of sexual harassment.

Olisa-Ogbonnaya claimed that Duru approached her during the Easter period, asking her to publicly discredit Akpoti-Uduaghan through television and social media.

She said the request included the use of doctored audio and video materials to suggest the senator made inflammatory remarks and fabricated allegations, adding that there is nowhere in the clips he received from Sandra where Natasha said she wanted to bring down the Yoruba government.

“How do you think Sen. Natasha will bring down the Yoruba government? A Kogi person is a minority Nigerian. They don’t have alliances like that. Sometimes they are more tilted to the Yorubas. Sometimes, the Igalas are even taken to be Igbos.

“My parents are from Anambra. We have Igala people in Anambra, and we have them in Kogi. So, a Kogi person is a minority. How will she say she wants to bring down a Yoruba government?

“I challenge Sandra to show the world where she was explaining her plans to me her plans. That’s when you know that the woman didn’t say something like that.”

Olisa-Ogbonnaya also denied that Akpoti-Uduaghan recanted her allegations against Akpabio in the audio files shared by Duru, noting, “At no point in the audio did Sen. Natasha say there was never sexual harassment. She was even suggesting experiences that there was sexual harassment.”

She disclosed that she had accepted a payment of N300,000 from Duru to produce a voice-over but said the relationship soured after she refused to fabricate content using cloned voices.

Calling Duru a “pathological liar and serial blackmailer,” Olisa-Ogbonnaya stated she is willing to submit both WhatsApp chats and audio conversations to security agencies to support her claims, but only if Duru is present to answer questions as well.

She clarified that she has no evidence linking Duru’s actions to the Senate President or any coordinated political effort. “I don’t have the evidence to say Sandra is working with Akpabio,” she said.

Olisa-Ogbonnaya, who previously contested a seat in the Imo State House of Assembly, said her decision to speak out was to protect the reputations of Akpoti-Uduaghan and Akpabio and the integrity of public discourse.

Her remarks come amid growing political tension ahead of the 2027 elections and increased scrutiny of public officials and political narratives circulating on social media.