Senator Natasha Akpoti-Uduaghan of Kogi Central has revealed that she has been repeatedly courted by officials from the Presidency and some of her colleagues to defect to the ruling All Progressives Congress (APC), but she has consistently turned down such overtures, reaffirming her loyalty to the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP)
Akpoti-Uduaghan made the disclosure during a recent interview on the Mic On Podcast with Seun Okinbaloye, posted on YouTube on Saturday.
When asked whether she might consider joining the APC if things went awry in the PDP, she responded, “No, I wouldn’t. I was in APC briefly at the start of everything. Why should I go and join APC? I don’t have to follow the bandwagon. I don’t have to succumb to any threats or fall for any cajolery. I have been approached many times—by people from the Presidency, even by my colleagues. Just yesterday someone joked, ‘We’re still expecting, we would love to have you.’ But I love my space, I love my peace here. I’m okay with my party now, so I don’t think I have to join the APC.”
She also indicated that she is considering running for the Senate again, with discussions ongoing within her party, though nothing has been finalized.
On rumours that former Kogi Governor Yahaya Bello might contest for a Senate seat in 2027, Akpoti-Uduaghan said she is unafraid of facing him. “If I decide to contest after consulting my family, constituents, and party, and I end up on the ballot against Yahaya Bello in 2027, then I would say, bring it on. I am not scared of him. He was a sitting governor and used all his powers against me, and yet I defeated his candidate in 2023.”
Akpoti-Uduaghan currently represents Kogi Central in the 10th Senate. She won her seat in 2023 on the PDP platform after a legal battle that overturned the initial declaration of victory for APC candidate Abubakar Sadiku-Ohere. The election tribunal in Lokoja later declared her the winner with 54,074 votes, surpassing Ohere’s 51,291.
She added that any future Senate bid would most likely be under the PDP, but she could be forced to switch parties if the PDP fails to resolve its ongoing leadership crisis. “If I decide to contest in 2027 and the PDP hasn’t resolved its crisis, I would need just a month to pick a platform of my choice, and my supporters will follow me,” she said.
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