Senate President, Godswill Akpabio, has petitioned the Attorney General of the Federation, Minister of Justice, Prince Lateef Fagbemi (SAN), and the Inspector General of Police, Kayode Egbetokun, requesting a thorough investigation and prosecution of Senator Natasha Akpoti-Uduaghan over her claim that he orchestrated a plot to assassinate her.
In a petition dated April 3, 2025, Akpabio described the allegation as false, defamatory, and politically motivated. The petition, which was also copied to the AGF, followed public statements made by Akpoti-Uduaghan on April 1 during her homecoming event in Kogi State. There, she accused the Senate President of instructing former Kogi State Governor Yahaya Bello and incumbent Governor Usman Ododo to assassinate her in Kogi State, in a manner that would make it appear her constituents were responsible for the act.
Akpabio, however, categorically denied the allegations, calling them a “heinous lie” and “a reckless and deliberate attempt to damage my reputation, endanger my life and security, and incite political unrest.” He added that the accusations were made without evidence and had already gained significant traction across various media platforms, including radio, television, newspapers, and social media.
“The severity of this false allegation, and the fact that it has gained public traction, makes it necessary that law enforcement agencies treat it with the urgency it deserves,” Akpabio wrote in the petition.
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He asserted that the remarks were an attempt to manipulate public sentiment and cast him as a political villain, warning that such inciting statements posed a threat to democratic institutions and national peace.
Akpabio further emphasised the need to hold public officeholders accountable for their public statements, especially those capable of breaching peace and undermining public trust in government.
He concluded by calling for an “immediate investigation into the false and inciting allegation” and urged that Senator Natasha Akpoti-Uduaghan be prosecuted for criminal defamation, incitement, false accusation, and conduct likely to cause a breach of the peace under relevant legal provisions.
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