Senator-Elect of Kogi Central, Natasha Akpoti-Uduaghan, has accused Kogi State Governor, Yahaya Bello, of orchestrating a violent plot against her during the senatorial election that transpired in March, 2023.
Speaking on Tuesday’s edition of Channels Television’s Politics Today, October 31, 2023, Akpoti-Uduaghan revealed details of the incident, presenting video evidence to support her claims.
According to Akpoti-Uduaghan, she heard gunfire and her vehicle came under attack by a group of armed men, who were allegedly supporters of the Governor.
“I heard guns; I had his henchmen shoot at my vehicle; I have video evidence of that,” she asserted during the interview.
She further identified one of the attackers as Amoka, who had served as the returning officer for Okehi local government, and alleged that he led the assailants who fired at her.
Expressing her concerns, Akpoti-Uduaghan criticised Governor Bello’s recent acknowledgment of her victory as the duly elected candidate for Kogi Central.
She condemned his statement, pointing out the inconsistency of endangering lives and labeling it as the ‘beauty of democracy.’
“He said this is the beauty of politics; this is not the beauty of politics. You don’t endanger people, you don’t set out to kill people, you don’t destroy properties, and you don’t frustrate the electoral process just because you want your candidate to win and call it ‘the beauty of democracy’,” she asserted firmly.
In addition to the violent incident, Akpoti-Uduaghan alleged that Governor Bello deliberately disrupted essential routes within the state to impede the seamless progress of the election. She claimed that the Governor dug gullies and blocked roads to prevent the election from taking place, potentially putting her life in jeopardy. Despite these challenges, Akpoti-Uduaghan displayed remarkable resilience, determined to ensure that she did not portray vulnerability, especially for women aspiring to engage in political leadership.
“A lot went on that we couldn’t even put before the media because I didn’t want to seem as if I was every day, crying for help. I needed to show strength; I didn’t want to discourage other women like me from entering politics and thinking, ‘Oh, it’s too violent, it’s too volatile’,” she emphasized.
She also spoke about her victory, expressing gratitude to the judiciary for upholding her election. “I am twice lucky. Up until I was declared the winner, I wasn’t absolutely sure that I was going to have the appellate court grant me victory because, this is Nigeria, anything can happen,” she remarked.
As of the time of this report, Governor Bello’s team has not issued any comments regarding the serious allegations made by the Senator-Elect.
