Choose Peace, Not War!” – Onoja Pleads With Yahaya Bello, Natasha Over Fiery Senate Suspension Clash

Former Kogi State Deputy Governor, Edward Onoja, has urged former Governor Yahaya Bello and suspended Kogi Central Senator, Natasha Akpoti-Uduaghan, to set aside their differences and reconcile.

Speaking on the Mic On podcast on Saturday, Onoja recalled that Bello and Natasha once shared a cordial relationship, stressing that peace was the best path forward.

“I will advise them to reconcile; that is what brothers and sisters do,” he said. “Once upon a time, Natasha was in our party, APC, invited in by Yahaya Bello, and they dined together. They have been friends. I just believe peace is better than war.”

Onoja also dismissed speculations that Bello had a hand in Natasha’s current suspension from the Senate. Asked directly about the rumours, he replied: “It was said, I didn’t say that. I don’t know that, and I don’t want to believe that.”

The former deputy governor recalled how Bello once instructed him at the Kogi Government House in Lokoja to rise from his seat and greet Natasha during her time in the APC, a gesture that reflected their cordial ties at the time.

Natasha Akpoti-Uduaghan, who won the Kogi Central senatorial seat in 2023 under the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP), has since emerged as one of Bello’s fiercest critics. Her recent suspension has fueled political speculation, with some linking it to power struggles within the state.

But Onoja maintained that the crisis could still be resolved: “Peace will always serve the people better than political battles. It is in the interest of Kogi people that both of them find a way to work together again.”