Natasha Akpoti-Uduaghan, who recently secured the position of Senator-Elect for Kogi Central through an Appeal Court judgement on Tuesday, has made a serious accusation against the Governor of Kogi State, Yahaya Bello. She claimed that there was a deliberate and malicious plot orchestrated by Governor Bello to endanger her well-being during the senatorial election that took place in March.
These claims were publicly articulated during her appearance in the Tuesday edition of the political affairs programme “Politics Today” on Channels Television.
In this televised platform, Akpoti-Uduaghan aired her concerns, alleging that the safety and integrity of the election process were compromised by the actions or intentions of Governor Bello.
“I heard guns; I had his henchmen shoot at my vehicle; I have video evidence of that,” she said.
“It was the immediate past; they were adorned in APC shirts, and one of them was Amoka; he was actually the returning officer for Okehi local government. He led the group of ten men to shoot at me, I have the video captured in that.”
Akpoti-Uduaghan raised concerns about the governor’s recent statement, where he acknowledged her victory in Kogi Central. She criticised the governor’s remarks, saying it’s contradictory to endanger lives and call it “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 said.
Read also:Governorship poll: PDP will replicate Natasha’s victory in Kogi–Dino Melaye
Akpoti-Uduaghan also claimed that the governor intentionally blocked important roads in the state to hinder the smooth conduct of the election.
“Apart from that, the governor actually thwarts roads. The governor, a day before the election, cut five—he dug gullies, cutting five roads. That was just to prevent the election from taking place, probably endangering my life,” she added.
“It was a day to the election but thank God we had the payloaders and I went all night, we had to cover the gullies so that the election could take place.”
Despite the various challenges and threats she encountered, Akpoti-Uduaghan remained steadfast.
She believed it was crucial to exhibit her unwavering commitment, not only for her own political journey but also to serve as an inspirational example for women already involved in politics or those aspiring to pursue leadership roles in the political arena.
By doing so, she aimed to promote resilience and determination among women 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 maintained.
“I had to show strength; that was why I did not tell every part of this story; it was so much more than the world knows.”
Governor Bello’s team has not provided any comments on the issue. She also discussed her victory, expressing uncertainty about whether the earlier verdict confirming her election would remain unchanged.
“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 said.
“I really praise the judiciary for having the courage to stand forth through the event that took place, by going through the documents diligently and affirming me as the winner. I want to bring the best innovation in leadership closer to the people.”
