The senator representing Kogi Central, Natasha Akpoti-Uduaghan, has revealed that she has been repeatedly urged by individuals linked to the Presidency and some lawmakers to defect to the All Progressives Congress (APC), but said she has consistently turned down the advances.
Akpoti-Uduaghan, who is a member of the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP), made this known during an interview on Mic On Podcast with Seun Okinbaloye, which was published on YouTube on Saturday.
When asked if joining the APC could be an option should the internal crisis within the PDP worsen, the senator firmly dismissed the idea, stating that she has no plans to align with the ruling party.
“No, I wouldn’t. I was in APC briefly at the start of everything. Why should I go and join APC?” she said. “I don’t have to follow the bandwagon. I don’t have to succumb to any threats or fall for any cajolery.”
She explained that the attempts to lure her into the APC had been ongoing and had come from influential quarters, including the Presidency. She added that some of her colleagues in the Senate had also made similar overtures.
“I have been approached many times. I have been approached by people from the Presidency, from even my colleagues,” she said. “Even as recently as yesterday, one joked about it: ‘We’re still expecting, we would love to have you.’ And I’m like, I love my space, I love my peace here. I’m okay with my party now.”
The senator also spoke about her political future, noting that conversations were underway within the PDP regarding a possible re-election bid in 2027, although no final decision had been reached.
Reacting to speculations that former Kogi State governor, Yahaya Bello, might contest the Kogi Central senatorial seat in 2027, Akpoti-Uduaghan said she was unfazed.
“If by any chance I make up my mind after due consultation with my family, constituents and political party, and I am on the ballot against former Governor Yahaya Bello in 2027, then I would say, bring it on,” she said, adding that she had already defeated a Bello-backed candidate in the 2023 election.
Akpoti-Uduaghan, who is serving her first term in the 10th Senate, secured the Kogi Central seat on the PDP platform after the election tribunal overturned the earlier declaration of APC candidate Abubakar Sadiku-Ohere.
She stressed that if she seeks re-election, it would most likely be under the PDP, but cautioned that a prolonged leadership crisis within the party could compel her to consider alternative options.
