The senator-elect of Kogi Central, Natasha Akpoti-Uduaghan, has alleged threats to her life, saying some people were plotting to kill her.
Natasha made this allegation in an interview on Channels Television’s Politics Today on Tuesday.
She also accused the Kogi State government of a plot to harm her during the senatorial election that took place in March.
The Kogi senator-elect said, “I heard guns; I had his henchmen shoot at my vehicle; I have video evidence of that.
“It was the immediate past; they were adorned in APC shirts and one of them was Amoka; he was actually the returning officer for Okehi local government. He led the group of ten men to shoot at me; I have the video captured in that.”
Akpoti-Uduaghan expressed concerns over Governor Yahaya Bello’s recent statement where he acknowledged her victory as the duly elected candidate for Kogi Central.
She said, “He said this is the beauty of politics; this is not the beauty of politics. You don’t endanger people, you don’t destroy properties, and you don’t frustrate the electoral process just because you want your candidate to win and call it ‘the beauty of democracy.”
Akpoti-Uduaghan additionally alleged that essential routes within the state were destroyed to impede the seamless progress of the election.
She said, “Apart from that, they actually thwarted roads a day before the election and dug gullies, cutting five roads. That was just to prevent the election from taking place, probably endangering my life.
“It was a day for the election, but thank God we had the payloaders, and I went all night; we had to cover the gullies so that the election could take place.”
Akpoti-Uduaghan noted that, despite the threats and challenges she faced, she had to demonstrate her resilience to ensure that she did not portray an image of vulnerability for women involved in or aspiring to engage in political leadership.
She said, “A lot went on that we couldn’t even put before the media because I didn’t want to seem as if I was every day, crying for help. I needed to show strength; I didn’t want to discourage other women like me from entering politics and thinking, ‘Oh, it’s too violent, it’s too volatile.
“I had to show strength; that was why I did not tell every part of this story; it was so much more than the world knows.”
Akpoti-Uduaghan said, despite an earlier verdict affirming her election, she was unsure if the judgment would be upheld.
“I am twice lucky. Up until I was declared the winner, I wasn’t absolutely sure that I was going to have the appellate court grant me victory because, this is Nigeria, anything can happen,” she said.
“I really praise the judiciary for having the courage to stand forth through the event that took place, by going through the documents diligently and affirming me as the winner. I want to bring the best innovation in leadership closer to the people.”
