By Kolawole Ojebisi
The Senator representing Kogi Central, Natasha Akpoti-Uduaghan, has advised former governor Yahaya Bello to prioritize clearing his name in the ongoing corruption charges brought against him over his alleged campaign to have her recalled from the Senate.
Akpoti-Uduaghan gave the advice in a ‘Thank You’ statement issued on Wednesday night to appreciate her constituents for standing by her despite her predicament.
She said, “I will advise the former governor to rather focus on clearing his name over allegations of fraudulent diversion of N80.2 billion, instead of attempting to destabilise the mandate given to me by the people of Kogi Central. As for me, I will do more for my people. I will not betray them.
“The former governor’s hands are already full with corruption allegations, yet he is still bent on frustrating the will of the people. His actions before and during the last general elections, where he sponsored numerous attacks against me, are well documented.
“This recall attempt is nothing but another ploy to undermine the people’s will. It is now very clear to the whole world how popular I am in my constituency. The powers that be did try to suppress the will of the people, but my people emphatically said no. No to injustice, no to fake recall and no to Yahaya Bello and his allies.”
Former Governor Yahaya Bello is currently on trial for an N80.2 billion fraud charge brought against him by the Economic and Financial Crime Commission (EFCC).
Akpoti-Uduaghan’s statement was a reaction to Tuesday’s remarks by the Kogi State Government, describing her claim that Bello, the Senate President Godswill Akpabio and Senator Ekpenyong Asuquo attempted to assassinate her as a ‘malicious’ falsehood.
The statement issued by Kogi Commissioner for Information, Kingsley Fanwo, further labelled the senator as an incurable liar and serial manipulator who is out to mislead the public.
The suspended senator however, insisted that she was no pushover and would not succumb to any attempted blackmail against her.
