Senate President, Senator Godswill Akpabio, has strongly denied allegations by the suspended Senator representing Kogi Central, Natasha Akpoti-Uduaghan, that he engaged former Kogi State Governor, Yahaya Bello, to assassinate her. Describing the claim as "false and malicious," Akpabio dismissed it as part of a calculated smear campaign against him.
The Senate President’s response was conveyed in a statement issued in Abuja on Friday by his media aide, Eseme Eyiboh.
The controversy arose after Akpoti-Uduaghan, while addressing her supporters in Kogi on Wednesday, accused Akpabio of seeking Bello’s help to eliminate her in Kogi State rather than in Abuja. The Kogi State government has since refuted her allegations.
Akpabio, reacting to the claims, stated that there was no iota of truth in her accusations, calling them a deliberate attempt to tarnish his reputation and mislead the public.
He described Akpoti-Uduaghan’s statements as "a complete fabrication, deeply irresponsible, and a dangerous attempt to provoke public unrest and discredit my person and office."
He further recalled that the senator had previously accused him of sexual harassment, an allegation she later abandoned without explanation.
According to Akpabio, her pattern of making baseless accusations, including prior claims of assassination attempts in 2019 and 2023, reflects a persistent strategy to spread misinformation. He warned that such falsehoods should not be used to malign individuals or destroy reputations built over the years.
Additionally, Akpabio took aim at former Adamawa North Senator, Elisha Abbo, who recently accused him of orchestrating his removal from the National Assembly.
Abbo, who was sacked by the Court of Appeal in October 2023, alleged on a live Arise Television program that Akpabio ran the Senate like an emperor and was responsible for his predicament.
The Senate President dismissed Abbo’s claims as another baseless attack aimed at undermining his leadership. He pointed out that the Court of Appeal's decision to remove Abbo was based on constitutional grounds and had nothing to do with him.
Akpabio suggested that the timing and similarity of the accusations from both Akpoti-Uduaghan and Abbo indicate a coordinated effort by unnamed political interests to discredit him and the Senate.
In response, Akpabio has demanded immediate public retractions and apologies from both individuals, warning that legal action will follow if they fail to comply.
His media team confirmed that formal letters of demand seeking retractions, apologies, and compensation for reputational damage are already in process.
Despite these controversies, Akpabio reiterated his commitment to leading the Senate with integrity, emphasizing that he remains undeterred by politically motivated attacks.