Kogi govt reacts to Akpoti-Uduaghan’s homecoming gathering, accuses senator of lawlessness, incitement

The Kogi State Government said on Tuesday that the homecoming gathering by the Kogi Central Senator, Natasha Akpoti-Uduaghan, and her supporters in Okene Local Government Area (LGA) of the state was a security breach and a violation of its ban on political gatherings.

The government stated this on Tuesday in a statement by the Commissioner for Information, Kingsley Fanwo, while reacting to a gathering held by Mrs Akpoti-Uduaghan and her supporters earlier that day.

Ahead of Mrs Akpoti-Uduaghan’s arrival in Kogi on Tuesday, both the state government and the state police command had, in separate statements, placed a ban on rallies, citing security concerns.

The police specifically asked the organisers of the senator’s homecoming event to shelve it, noting that intelligence suggested that hoodlums planned to hijack it.

However, the senator, currently suspended from the upper chamber, and her supporters defied the ban to hold the gathering.

Mrs Akpoti-Uduaghan said she did not break any law by holding the event, noting that “we have the right to be free, to express our choice in gatherings and celebrations.”

However, Mr Fanwo noted that the gathering was held in violation of the ban on public gatherings.

“Suspended Senator Natasha Akpoti-Uduaghan has consistently demonstrated a pattern of lawlessness, using lies and deceit as her tools of political engagement. The recent disturbances in Kogi State, orchestrated by her defiance of the state’s security directives, have further confirmed her status as a security threat to the people of the State.

“She deliberately violated the State Government’s ban on political gatherings, which was put in place to prevent security breaches and maintain peace. Instead of respecting the law, she chose to incite chaos, disregarding the safety and stability of the state. When confronted with the consequences of her actions, she resorted to her usual tactics of playing the victim and fabricating baseless accusations against respected leaders of the state and the nation,” he said.

‘Threat to life’

Ahead of her arrival to Kogi, the senator made a cryptic post on her Facebook page, stating that the Kogi State Governor, Usman Ododo; his predecessor, Yahaya Bello, and Senate President, Godswill Akpabio, be held responsible should anything happen to her.

In the now-deleted Facebook post, Mrs Akpoti-Uduaghan wrote: “My dear people of Kogi Central, I look forward to our PEACEFUL Sallah celebrations today. However, should we be met with or infiltrated by violence, Nigerians should hold Gov Ododo, Yahaya Bello & SP Godswill Akpabio wholly responsible.”

Messrs Ododo and Bello hail from Kogi Central Senatorial District, as do Mrs Akpoti-Uduaghan.

The embattled senator was inaugurated in November 2023 following her victory at the court. She replaced Abubakar Ohere, who was declared the 25 February 2023 election winner by the Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC).

Meanwhile, Mr Fanwo described Mrs Akpoti-Uduaghan’s post as “reckless, malicious and false.”

“This is yet another desperate and calculated attempt by an incurable liar and serial manipulator to mislead the public, inciting unrest, and present herself as a victim after deliberately violating the ban on political gatherings imposed by the State Government to maintain law and order.

“Her statement exposed her plans to use her visit to stir trouble and violence in Kogi Central Senatorial District,” the commissioner stated.

Suspension

The Senate, on 6 March, suspended Mrs Akpoti-Uduaghan, a member of the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP), for six months following the recommendations of its ethics, privileges and public petitions committee.

The decision of the upper chamber followed her alleged misconduct during the plenary session on 20 February and her refusal to adhere to its sitting arrangement.

It imposed several penalties on Mrs Akpoti-Uduaghan, including withdrawing all her security aides and closing her office in the National Assembly.

She was also asked to hand over to the Clerk to the National Assembly, while she was also prohibited from entering the premises of the federal legislature during the period of suspension.

The Senate also suspended her salary and allowances and also banned her from presenting herself as a senator locally and internationally.

The upper chamber, however, said it may consider recalling her if she submits a written apology.

Recall

Last week, some voters in the Kogi central senatorial district, under the aegis of the Concerned Kogi Youth and Women, submitted a petition to INEC in Abuja for her recall from the Senate.

In the petition addressed to INEC chairperson Mahmood Yakubu, members of the group said they had lost confidence in Mrs Akpoti-Uduaghan’s representation at the National Assembly and, therefore, asked the commission to commence the process of recalling her.

The petition, reportedly signed by over 250,000 registered voters out of over 480,000 total registered voters in Kogi Central, meets the threshold of 50 per cent plus 1 of the registered voters needed to achieve a recall process.

INEC had detected errors in the petition initially. It said the petition did not include the contact address, telephone numbers and email addresses of the petitioners.

A day later, the electoral commission announced that it had received the details the petition did not contain from the group and that it was ready to proceed with the process.

INEC also notified the Senate and Mrs Akpoti-Uduaghan of the recall petition.

However, the Senate has yet to issue a statement confirming whether it has received the notice.

READ ALSO: Akpoti-Uduaghan, supporters defy ban, hold homecoming gathering

Akpoti-Uduagan flays process

In response, Mrs Akpoti-Uduaghan condemned her planned recall, labelling it as a fraudulent exercise.

She also reiterated her stance on her six-month suspension from the Senate, maintaining that it was illegal and politically motivated.

The embattled lawmaker reaffirmed her sexual harassment allegations against the Senate President, Godswill Akpabio.

“Against intimidation, illegal suspension and fraudulent recall, I stand my ground on my sexual harassment claim against the Nigerian Senate President Godswill Akpabio,” she wrote in the statement.

Earlier in the month, PREMIUM TIMES reported that some Kogi Central constituents condemned Mrs Akpoti-Uduaghan’s suspension from the upper chamber.

The constituents expressed displeasure with the possibility of not being represented in the Senate for six months.