Senate President Godswill Akpabio has strongly denied the explosive allegation by suspended Senator Natasha Akpoti-Uduaghan that he orchestrated a plot with former Kogi State Governor Yahaya Bello to assassinate her, describing the claim as a dangerous fabrication meant to incite public unrest and smear his reputation.
In a statement issued on Friday through his media aide, Eseme Eyibo, Akpabio’s office condemned what it called a "baseless, false, and inflammatory accusation," asserting that the Kogi Central Senator’s comments were laced with ulterior motives aimed at discrediting both the individual and the office of the President of the Senate.
"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, Senator Godswill Akpabio, was involved in a plot to assassinate her," the statement read.
According to Eyibo, Natasha’s persistent use of what he called “recurring persecution narratives” and her “evident lying complex” are deliberate tools of public manipulation, which should not be weaponised to tarnish reputations built over decades.
“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,” the statement added.
Akpoti-Uduaghan had made the sensational claim during a political rally in her hometown on Tuesday, alleging that “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.”
In a subsequent interview on Wednesday, she doubled down on her claims, stating that she had evidence to support her earlier sexual harassment allegations against Akpabio and promised to release it at the right time.
However, Akpabio’s office has dismissed these claims as a continuation of what it termed Natasha’s "campaign of misinformation" — pointing out that she had previously made similar unsubstantiated claims against Yahaya Bello and others in 2019 and 2023, including multiple allegations of sexual harassment against public figures.
“Having failed to gain traction with that narrative, she has now escalated her campaign of misinformation to a deadly and defamatory dimension,” the statement said.
Describing her as a serial accuser and manipulative performer, the Senate President’s office noted that her history of public accusations — which include past assassination claims and dramatic allegations of misconduct — reveal “a troubling willingness to exploit public sensitivities through recurring victimhood narratives.”
Akpabio and Natasha, once political allies, have been at loggerheads in recent months. Their public fallout became pronounced after Natasha accused Akpabio of sexual harassment and abuse of office — a claim that was followed by her dramatic suspension from the Senate on February 28.
Her suspension, which came after she accused the Senate President of misconduct and had her seat changed on the Senate floor, also saw her security details withdrawn and her salary withheld. The Senate leadership cited her conduct during plenary as “unruly,” leading to a six-month suspension.
However, Natasha has consistently maintained that the disciplinary actions were targeted attempts to silence her for daring to call out Akpabio’s alleged abuses.
As tensions rise and allegations deepen, the political drama between the Senate President and the suspended Senator has taken a dangerous turn — one that observers warn could further polarize the public and distract from governance, unless addressed with facts and decorum.