Senator Natasha Akpoti-Uduaghan has announced plans to appear on Arise TV, to address recent corruption allegations and her ongoing conflict with Senate President Godswill Akpabio.
The development follows a petition submitted by the Northern Youth Advocacy for Excellence (NOYAD), calling for an investigation into the senator over allegations of misconduct.
“The Northern Youth Advocacy for Excellence (NOYAD) hereby calls on your esteemed Senate Committee on Ethics, Privileges and Public Petition to investigate Senator Natasha Uduaghan-Akpoti over verifiable corrupt practices, accounts freezing and criminal diversion of committee impress allocations, usurpation of committee duties, stifling of rights of committee staff as well as intimidation and harassment of Local Content committee Clerk, Mrs. Edith Ajah,” the petition reads in part.
Senator Akpoti-Uduaghan responded to the petition in a Facebook post on Thursday morning.
She wrote: “Good morning courageous people of Kogi Central, Kogi State, and Nigeria.
“This petition came to my notice a few hours ago.
“In as much as I have refrained from publicly speaking on the matter and a lot of occurrences at the Senate under Senate President Akpabio, it’s about time I break my silence.
“Arise News, set a date (from Saturday, March 1, 2025) and I shall be in your studio in person. Spare no questions.
“And to Nigerians, please be sure to join the probe which I shall insist would be covered live.
“The next few days and weeks shall be interesting but will shape the standard and quality of Nigeria’s leadership.”
This development comes shortly after Senator Akpoti-Uduaghan filed a defamation lawsuit against Akpabio, following a contentious Senate seat reassignment triggered by opposition members defecting to the majority wing. Her resistance to the reassignment escalated tensions with the Senate President, leading to public confrontations.
In the suit, filed on February 25, 2025, at the Federal Capital Territory High Court, the Senate President, the Federal Republic of Nigeria, and Mfon Patrick, a senior legislative aide to Akpabio, were named as defendants.
The suit, marked CV/737/25, claims that defamatory statements were made by Akpabio and published on Facebook by his aide.
According to Akpoti-Uduaghan’s lawyer, Victor Giwa, the post, titled “Is the Local Content Committee of the Senate Natasha’s Birthright?” included a statement suggesting the senator thought her role was merely about “pancaking her face and wearing transparent outfits to the chambers.”
Giwa argued that the statement was defamatory, degrading his client’s reputation in the eyes of her colleagues and the public.