Godswill Akpabio Addresses Natasha Akpoti’s Assassination Claim

Senate President Godswill Akpabio has denied the claim made by Senator Natasha Akpoti-Uduaghan, who accused him of working with former Kogi State Governor Yahaya Bello in an alleged plot to have her assassinated.

Senator Natasha Akpoti made the accusation during a homecoming rally in Kogi on Tuesday.

In response, Akpabio, through his media aide Eseme Eyibo, described the allegation as completely false and meant to stir public tension and damage his reputation.

In a statement on Friday, Eyibo said the accusation is not just untrue but a reckless attempt to mislead the public and attract media attention.

He also reminded the public that Natasha had once accused Akpabio of sexual harassment, noting that her recent allegation was part of a larger pattern of baseless accusations.

Eyibo claimed she had made similar assassination and harassment claims in 2019 and 2023, often targeting prominent individuals.

The statement also addressed a separate incident involving former Senator Elisha Abbo, who appeared on Arise TV on April 2.

Abbo revived an old accusation that Godswill Akpabio influenced the judiciary to remove him from office.

However, Akpabio pointed out that Abbo had publicly withdrawn that claim in 2023 and apologized after realizing it was unfounded.

Abbo also accused Akpabio of withholding his Senate entitlements — another claim Akpabio’s office flatly denied.

They explained that such benefits are handled through standard administrative procedures, not the Senate President’s personal decisions.

Eyibo accused both Natasha and Abbo of running a coordinated smear campaign, possibly backed by political interests aiming to damage Akpabio’s reputation and distract from their own issues.

Despite the accusations, Akpabio says he remains focused on his role and won’t be distracted by what he called “malicious lies.”

His legal team is preparing formal letters demanding public apologies, retractions, and compensation from both Natasha and Abbo.

The Senate President also urged the public and international observers to dismiss what he called “provocative and baseless” claims and reaffirmed his commitment to upholding the Senate’s duties and democratic values.

The statement reads, “RE: FALSE AND MALICIOUS ALLEGATIONS TARGETING THE PRESIDENT OF THE SENATE, HIS EXCELLENCY, SENATOR GODSWILL AKPABIO, GCON

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, His Excellency, Senator Godswill Akpabio, GCON, was involved in a plot to assassinate her.

While speaking in Kogi State on April 1, 2025, the suspended Senator Akpoti-Uduaghan recklessly and maliciously claimed that Senator Godswill Akpabio “recruited” former Governor Yahaya Bello to “assassinate her in Kogi State rather than in Abuja.”

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.

It is important to remind the public that this same individual had previously made an unsubstantiated accusation of sexual harassment against Senator Akpabio—a claim she seem to have abandoned without explanation. Having failed to gain traction with that narrative, she has now escalated her campaign of misinformation to a deadly and defamatory dimension.

This pattern of deliberate falsehoods and manipulative theatrics reveals a troubling willingness to exploit public sensitivities through recurring victimhood narratives. It is a matter of public record that she has previously made assassination allegations against former Governor Yaya Bello and others in 2019 and 2023, along with multiple unsubstantiated claims of sexual harassment against other dignitaries.

Her recurring persecution narrative and evident lying complex should not be weaponized to malign individuals or destroy hard-earned reputations. Interestingly, this latest reckless allegation is not occurring in isolation.

Barely 24 hours later, on April 2, 2025, former Senator Elisha Abbo appeared on Arise Television to revive a previously withdrawn claim that Senator Akpabio “manipulated the judiciary” to secure his removal from the Senate. Nigerians will recall that Mr. Abbo, in 2023, publicly retracted this same accusation and tendered an apology after acknowledging that his claims were founded on incorrect assumptions.

His removal from office was the outcome of a constitutionally grounded judicial decision by the Court of Appeal, which independently determined that he was not duly elected to represent Adamawa North.

In a further twist, Mr. Abbo also alleged that he was denied his entitlements by the Senate President. This, too, is categorically false. Entitlements such as salaries and allowances are processed strictly through administrative and legal procedures.

The Senate President does not and cannot unilaterally approve or deny such requests. Any delays or rejections would have been based solely on due diligence and compliance with established protocols.

The timing, tone, and striking similarity of these coordinated attacks point clearly to a politically motivated smear campaign. These individuals—backed by undisclosed interests—appear united in a desperate effort to undermine the credibility of the Senate and its leadership and intended to distract from their own personal and political shortcomings and failings.

Senator Godswill Akpabio remains undeterred. As a statesman devoted to national unity, institutional integrity, and the rule of law, he will not be distracted by malicious falsehoods or inflammatory rhetoric.

Regardless of the necessity for legal redress, formal letters of demand, seeking immediate public retractions, apologies, and compensation for reputational harm, are underway to be served on both Senator Natasha Akpoti-Uduaghan and Mr Elisha Abbo.

We call on the Nigerian public in particular and the International Community to reject these baseless and provocative narratives.

The Senate, under Senator Akpabio’s leadership, remains focused on its constitutional mandate: to promote legislative excellence, safeguard democratic values, and deliver meaningful progress for the Nigerian people.”

KanyiDaily recalls that former Minister of Education, Oby Ezekwesili has accused Godswill Akpabio of avoiding accountability in the sexual harassment case filed against him by Natasha Akpoti-Uduaghan.