The senate president, Mr Godswill Akpabio, has described as “outrageous accusation” and “dangerous and provocative fabrication” the statement by the suspended senator representing Kogi Central, Mrs Natasha Akpoti-Uduaghan that he enlisted the former governor of the state, Mr Yahaya Bello to kill her.
Akpabio made the denial in a statement entitled ‘Re: False and malicious allegations targeting the president of the senate…’ issued by his media aide, Mr Eseme Eyiboh in Abuja on Friday.
Recall that the Kogi Central lawmaker made the allegation on Tuesday while addressing her constituents at a rally held in Ihima, Kogi Central.
She alleged that Akpabio contracted the former governor of the state, Mr Yahaya Bello, to commence her recall and assassination.
She also stated that Akpabio initially contacted the incumbent state governor, Mr Usman Ododo to commence her recall, but the governor told him it would be impossible “because the masses are with her.”
She further alleged that Akpabio, dissatisfied with Ododo’s response, asked Bello to ensure her recall and assassination, with a promise to fund the processes.
“But Akpabio was not satisfied; he then called for Yahaya Bello. It was Senator Asuquo who drove Yahaya Bello to the Hiltons. I was informed.
“The meeting was in two folds; he told him to commence my recall. He was going to fund it. Of course, money changed hands that day. The second thing was that he should kill me.
“Akpabio told Yahaya Bello to kill me. Akpabio told him to make sure that killing me does not happen in Abuja. It should be done here. So it will seem as if the people killed me here. I didn’t make that public, but we did notify the police about it,” she told the crowd.
However, Akpabio described the accusation as “baseless, false and inflammatory.”
“The office of the president of the senate strongly condemns the recent baseless, false and inflammatory accusation made by Senator Natasha Akpoti-Uduaghan, in which she falsely alleged that the Senate President, His Excellency, Senator Godswill Akpabio…was involved in a plot to assassinate her.
“While speaking in Kogi State on April 1, 2025, the suspended Senator Akpoti-Uduaghan recklessly and maliciously claimed that Senator Godswill Akpabio “recruited” former Governor Yahaya Bello to “assassinate her in Kogi State rather than in Abuja.” 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 Senator Akpabio—a claim she seem to have abandoned without explanation. Having failed to gain traction with that narrative, she has now escalated her campaign of misinformation to a deadly and defamatory dimension.
“This pattern of deliberate falsehoods and manipulative theatrics reveals a troubling willingness to exploit public sensitivities through recurring victimhood narratives. It is a matter of public record that she has previously made assassination allegations against former Governor 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 weaponized to malign individuals or destroy hard-earned reputations.
“Interestingly, this latest reckless allegation is not occurring in isolation.
“Senator Godswill Akpabio remains undeterred. As a statesman devoted to national unity, institutional integrity, and the rule of law, he will not be distracted by malicious falsehoods or inflammatory rhetoric.
“…The Senate, under Senator Akpabio’s leadership, remains focused on its constitutional mandate: to promote legislative excellence, safeguard democratic values, and deliver meaningful progress for the Nigerian people,” the statement said.
Meanwhile, Akpoti-Uduaghan dared the senate president to sue her over the allegation of death threat she levelled against him.
Speaking on Channels Television’s Politics Today on Thursday, she said information at her disposal revealed that Akpabio wanted to sue her.
“I am hearing that the senate president wants to sue me for that, I will tell him to go ahead. We will meet and cross that bridge,” she said.
