Suspended Senator representing Kogi Central, Natasha Akpoti-Uduaghan, has called on the Inspector General of Police, Kayode Egbetokun, to dismiss a petition filed by Senate President Godswill Akpabio accusing her of criminal defamation and incitement.
Instead, the senator urged the police chief to open an investigation into Akpabio over what she described as credible threats to her life.
The Senate President had recently petitioned the police, alleging that Akpoti-Uduaghan falsely accused him of plotting her assassination—claims he strongly denied, labeling them “heinous lies” intended to tarnish his reputation and stir public unrest.
Responding through her legal counsel, Victor Giwa, on Saturday, Akpoti-Uduaghan described Akpabio’s petition as a strategic diversion aimed at undermining any impartial investigation into the threats she reported.
“Our client maintains that the Senate President should first submit himself to a thorough investigation by the security agencies before his petition is considered,” the statement read.
Giwa further alleged that Akpabio is a “principal suspect” in the case involving threats to the senator’s life, noting that her security detail was withdrawn under what he called “suspicious and illegal circumstances” allegedly at the instruction of the Senate President.
“The petition by Akpabio is premature and designed to preempt the outcome of the real investigation,” Giwa stated. “It is only after a full investigation has cleared the Senate President that any counter-allegation of incitement or defamation can be entertained.”
The statement called on the Inspector General of Police to disregard Akpabio’s petition, which it described as “diversionary and prejudicial.”
At the heart of the matter lies a deepening rift between two prominent political figures, underscoring the increasingly contentious atmosphere in the upper chamber of the National Assembly. While Akpabio seeks to defend his name, Akpoti-Uduaghan insists her safety is at stake and that the truth must not be buried under political power plays.
As of press time, neither the office of the Senate President nor the Nigeria Police Force had issued an official response to the senator’s appeal.
© Ripples Nigeria