Outsmarting the Kogi State government and the Nigeria Police Force in their desperate bid to abort her planned Sallah visit to her Kogi Central constituents on Tuesday, the embattled Senator Natasha Akpoti-Uduaghan had a swell time with her people.
While the agents of the government and security agencies were on the lookout for her motorcade and procession at entry points to the venue of the well-publicised homecoming celebration, the irrepressible Akpoti-Uduaghan landed in style in a white helicopter to a heroic welcome by tumultuous crowd of ecstatic constituents, who hailed, sang her praise and danced to their traditional music.
Newsmata.com.ng reports that ahead of the visit, the Kogi State government had banned rallies and public gatherings in the state citing security reports. The government also stopped fishing and other activities, lamenting that they resulted in the loss of two lives in Kasemiya, Katubo and Umozu Ette, all in Kogi Local Government Area in Kogi West.
In a statement issued on Monday, the state Commissioner for Information, Kingsley Fanwo, said the move was to prevent any form of security breach that might destabilise the state.
Fanwo added that intelligence reports indicated that some persons were planning to “stage some violent rallies in the guise of political and religious agitations” in Kogi Central.
But addressing the mammoth crowd in her expansive compound at Ihima, Okehi local government area, Akpoti-Uduaghan was in her elements as she dismissed the government’s restrictions to frustrate her visit. She insisted that she was merely celebrating Sallah with her constituents.
She also levelled another grievous allegation of assassinate plot against her by the senate president, Godswill Akpabio, whom she had previously accused f sexual harassment.
Akpoti-Uduaghan said, “Yesterday, we heard on the news that rallies and gatherings will not be allowed; that roads will be blocked, and convoys leading into the state will not be allowed.
“I knew that we were the targets. But then I said, this is not political season, this is not campaign time. We are not having a rally. This is just me, the Senator representing Kogi Central, coming down to her people to celebrate this festive time – the Sallah – with you, and there is nothing wrong with that.
“I am breaking no law. This is Nigeria. We have the right to be free, to express our choice in gatherings and celebrations.
“They tried to stop me from coming home. Nobody and nothing can stop me from coming home. I’m an Ebira woman; this is my land. I’m the daughter of the late Jimoh Abdul Akpoti. I know my roots; I’m not a bastard, and I’m not afraid of anybody. We own Ebira together, and no Senate President and his co travelers would stop me from coming home.
“It was actually Senator Asuquo from Cross River that drove Yahaya Bello from Hilton Hotel. I was informed of everything. The meeting was in two folds. He told him to commence my recall and that he was going to fund it. Of course, money changed hands that night.
“The second thing he told him was that he should try and kill me. I didn’t make this public but I wrote to the IG of Police. And Akpabio told Yahaya Bello, and I am standing by what I said. He told him that he should make sure that killing me does not happen in Abuja; it should be done here so that it should seem as if it’s the people that killed me here. I didn’t make that public, but we did notify the security agencies of that.
I called on media houses, and I want them to publish the news ahead of time that this is the nature of the meeting”.
Appealing to the Independent National Electoral Commission to remain impartial, she emphasised that the world was closely watching the recall process.
She however castigated the electoral umpire for helping the petitioners to perfect their petition, describing them as APC members with unidentified names, beginning with Kogi Central Political Frontiers with a fictitious address.
She called on the world, Nigerians and INEC to explain how in two days, 250,000 petitioners could sign to recall her, who had been acknowledged as the most performing Senator.
According to the embattled senator, “We saw what happened. They came around and deceived our people that they had empowerment for them with their PVC. They took advantage of our women’s illiteracy. They took advantage of poverty. I know they will not succeed by the grace of God. The recall will not be successful”.
Expressing confidence in her constituents, Akpoti-Uduaghan said, “I trust the people of Central will do what is right. Speak out against the oppression and intimidation that has held us back for too long”
She said the rousing reception accorded her by her people had emboldened her in her struggle for justice.