Political Battle Heats Up: Akpabio, Yahaya Bello Join Forces To Testify Against Natasha Akpoti-Uduaghan

Senate President Godswill Akpabio and former Kogi State Governor Yahaya Bello have been named as prosecution witnesses in the defamation case against suspended Senator Natasha Akpoti-Uduaghan, currently being prosecuted by the Federal Government.

The senator, representing Kogi Central Senatorial District, faces charges at the Federal Capital Territory High Court in Abuja over statements she made during a live TV interview, in which she accused Akpabio and Bello of conspiring to assassinate her.

Filed on May 16, the suit alleges that Akpoti-Uduaghan made “defamatory imputations” that could damage the reputations of the individuals involved, citing Section 391 of the Penal Code Law, Cap. 89, Laws of the Federation, 1990, with penalties under Section 392 of the same law.

Court documents reveal that Akpabio and Bello are key witnesses who will testify against the senator during the trial.

The charges relate to a controversial claim she made on April 3, 2025, on Channels Television’s Politics Today, where she alleged that Akpabio and Bello held a meeting plotting her assassination.

The charge sheet quotes her statement: “It was part of the meeting, the discussions that Akpabio had with Yahaya Bello that night to eliminate me. Let’s ask the Senate President, why in the first instance did he withdraw my security, if not to make me vulnerable to attacks. He then emphasized that I should be killed, but I should be killed in Kogi.”

The prosecution contends that the senator made these remarks knowing or reasonably believing they would harm Akpabio’s and Bello’s reputations.

Senator Natasha Akpoti-Uduaghan was suspended from the Senate on March 6 for alleged gross misconduct, which followed a dispute over seating arrangements with Senate President Akpabio.