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Why they are after Akpabio
By Clementina Diaka
In Nigerian politics, loyalty is not merely a virtue—it is a double-edged sword, a cross to bear, and sometimes, a noose. A loyal man will either be praised as a committed ally or seen as an obstacle to someone else’s inordinate ambition. In the latter case, such a man must be “removed.”
This appears to be the case in the ongoing saga between Senator Natasha Akpoti-Uduaghan and Senate President Godswill Akpabio. Senator Akpoti-Uduaghan, who initially attributed her removal as Chairman of the Local Content Committee to sexual harassment, has now changed her tone – claiming she was sacked for “protecting Northern interests.”
When one places this narrative side-by-side with the comments of Bukola Saraki, Atiku Abubakar, the Arewa Consultative Forum, and some other Northern elements, the larger play unfolds. This is not an innocent drama of legislative disagreement. It is a carefully choreographed spectacle – replete with villains, pawns, and shadows.
At the heart of it stands Akpabio – a man accused, maligned, and marked. Not because he has broken any law or committed any proven wrong, but because he has stood firm beside President Bola Ahmed Tinubu. And for that, he must be brought down.
There is, without question, a gathering of dissenters – former aspirants, serial losers at the ballot, political relics whose time has passed, but whose ambitions remain undimmed. They have no national vision to offer, no coherent philosophy to propose – only a festering grievance and a common enemy: the man who defeated them. Their aim is simple: to seize, through subterfuge and scandal, what they could not secure through the sovereign will of the people. And if power cannot be regained, then the next best thing is to make the country ungovernable.
The first phase of this plot is clear – harass and intimidate Akpabio into abandoning his friendly disposition with President Bola Ahmed Tinubu. Railroad him into making the Senate antagonistic to the Executive, thus making it impossible for it to deliver democracy dividends, thereby rendering President Tinubu vulnerable as 2027 approaches. In their crosshairs is Akpabio, and Senator Akpoti-Uduaghan appears to be the willing hired gun for the dirty job.
Why Akpabio? Akpabio is perhaps the most visible ally of Tinubu; a formidable defender of the administration due to his belief that the Legislature should cooperate with the Executive to enable it achieve meaningful results. They know that weakening Akpabio loosens the pillars holding up Tinubu’s house. And so, they reach for their weapons – not of war, but of whispers and smear campaigns, sponsored headlines, and strategic falsehoods. Among these, the most visible instrument is Senator Natasha Akpoti-Uduaghan – a willing tool for their evil enterprise.
They know that as long as Akpabio remains Senate President, Tinubu’s re-election bid will enjoy solid legislative backing. As Machiavelli put it, “He who guards the throne is more dangerous than he who sits upon it – remove the guardian, and the throne becomes a chair.” Akpabio is a major guardian of the Tinubu throne. Hence, the attacks from all angles.
Pawn in the Political Chess Game
Let us not be beguiled by sentiment. Senator Natasha, in this context, is not a lone voice of justice crying in the wilderness. She is no accidental heroine. She is a pawn in a larger political game – a game devised in the drawing rooms of desperate politicians who, unable to govern Nigeria, now seek to ruin those who do.
The names are not unfamiliar: Atiku Abubakar, Nasir El-Rufai, Peter Obi – the trio of ambition, bitterness, and illusion. They lost the 2023 election, not through fraud or manipulation, but through the expressed will of millions of Nigerians. Yet, rather than accept the verdict of democracy, they now seek to dismantle its very instruments. What better place to strike than the Senate? And what better target than its presiding officer?
This is not speculation. Their recent statements, social media antics, and strategic silences at critical moments reveal their hand. Atiku’s viral, unprovoked attack on Akpabio is no coincidence – it is part of the plan.
Natasha is not a loose cannon; she is a guided missile. The game plan is simple: manufacture crises from the most mundane matters, paint key figures as villains, and set the stage for a grand opposition showdown in 2027. Her sudden outburst in the Senate and carefully choreographed media blitz were the cold open of the movie. Now the sequence has been established, and the opening credits are rolling – featuring Bukola Saraki and company.
From a routine seating arrangement – a mundane legislative procedure – Senator Natasha has now conjured accusations of sexual harassment, threats to life, and elaborate conspiracies. The timing of this remembrance, suddenly arising a year after the alleged incident, is not only convenient; it is calculated. A smokescreen. A decoy. An attempt to stain a man’s name in the court of public opinion, where evidence is no longer required, and accusation is guilt enough.
There’s an old legal maxim: Give a dog a bad name and hang it. That, indeed, is what is unfolding. The Atiku-led clique is directing the movie. The volume of money pumped into this needless campaign to lure international media and embarrass the nation is staggering.
One day, it’s alleged insults. The next, sexual harassment. Tomorrow – who knows? Perhaps they’ll say Akpabio plans to auction Nigeria. The strategy is obvious: manufacture offence, amplify it through a compliant media, and weaponise it for political gain. But Nigerians are growing wiser—and wearier.
Even locally, all these unpatriotic efforts to create global embarrassment have yielded nothing. Nigerians are not fools. They know, as all people of discernment do, that justice cannot be built on lies, and democracy cannot thrive on deceit. The cry for accountability rings hollow when it emerges from a place of partisanship, not principle.
If Senator Natasha were truly pursuing justice, would she be flanked only by those with a declared interest in toppling the administration?
The Art of Giving a Dog a Bad Name
According to the ancient Nigerian proverb: “When an owl hoots in the night and a child dies in the morning, we all know who to suspect.” In this case, it is now clear: Natasha was never a bystander. She was a hired agent provocateur sent to destabilise the Red Chamber.
Before the unsuspecting public, a mere seating issue has now mushroomed into a web of accusations – sexual harassment, assassination plots, and shadowy threats – all conveniently aimed at one man. When we uncover the lies, she changes the script – hoping the audience forgets the plot.
This is a textbook case of “Give a dog a bad name and hang it.” The goal is to destroy Akpabio’s public image. First, he allegedly harassed her. Then, he sidelined her. What next? That he plans to privatise the oxygen Nigerians breathe?
Let us be clear: the Natasha debacle is a scripted drama to paint Akpabio as a villain and a threat to democracy. Ultimately, the goal is to weaken Senate leadership. But Nigerians are not being fooled – and many already see through the charade. History has taught us that in politics, those who cry the loudest often have the most to hide.
This episode is not about justice, democracy, or the protection of women – it is about power. Senator Natasha Akpoti, who has previously accused several men of sexual misconduct, is a well-placed pawn in a political chess game. Akpabio is simply the collateral victim. The true aim is to erode Tinubu’s support base and pave the way for an opposition comeback in 2027.
Those who cannot see this are either naive or willing accomplices in the drama.
If Natasha truly sought justice, she would not wage a media war in harmony with those who lost at the ballot and now hope to win through chaos.
As the Yoruba wisely say, “The rat cannot claim innocence when found near the pot of soup.”
The motives are transparent. The cast is clear. The only question is whether Nigerians will fall for the performance or stay focused on the real issues.
To Senator Akpabio, I say: take heart. The storm may rage, the winds may howl – but the tree with deep roots does not fear the tempest, and the eagle does not flinch at the storm. History is rarely kind to the mob – but it always remembers the man who stood tall when it was easier to fall.
- Dr. Clementina Daika is a Political Communication Strategist based in Plateau State
Anyone can pay the N25,000 wrong packing penalty slammed on Peter Obi, candidate of the Nigeria Democratic Congress by Festus Keyamo, Minister of Aviation and Aerospace Development, last week.
This was the angle introduced by the Minister, on Friday, when he acceded to the request of one Nnaemeka Ikerionwu, who volunteered to pick up the tab against the former Governor of Anambra State and candidate of the Labour (LP), in the 2023 presidential election.
Keyamo, who directed to the volunteer to liaise with the Federal Airports Authority of Nigeria (FAAN), on the payment process, had last Friday, Keyamo, in a statement posted on his X handle, demanded that Obi tendered a public apology to airport officials and pay a N25,000 fine.
Though the minister’s latest response suggests that government is willing to accept payment of the fine through a third party, he was however silent on whether his earlier demand that Obi tender a public apology to airport officials had been waived.
The new twist came as a consequence of what the Minister said was his investigation after the former governor cried out about alleged harassment by the Federal Government, citing the clamping of his car by airport staff during one of his use of the facility as an example.
The Minister had released as part of the investigation, a Close Circuit Television (CCTV) footage, to prove that Obi’s vehicle was parked unattended in a restricted area, prompting airport security personnel to clamp its tyres.
Keyamo said Obi arrived at the domestic wing of the Nnamdi Azikiwe International Airport, Abuja, on July 4, 2026, and left the vehicle after being dropped off by a police driver.
Meanwhile, in a post on his X handle, the Minister responded to Ikerionwu’s offer to settle the fine on Obi’s behalf by asking him to meet with FAAN’s Director of Commercial and Business Development for guidance on the payment process.
He wrote: “Thank you for bringing this to my attention. Please, Mr Nnaemeka Ikerionwu should proceed to see the Director of Commercial and Business Development for the Federal Airports Authority of Nigeria (FAAN), and he will be directed on the mode of payment of the fine for the offender.
“Now that we have burst his bubble, next time, Peter Obi should think twice before making outlandish claims of being targeted at our airports or anywhere for that matter in order to get ‘sympathy votes’.”
Abubakar Malami, is going upstairs to get the Court of Appeal quash the judgement of the Federal High Court, Abuja, empowering the Federal Government to seize 40 properties allegedly linked to him.
Justice Joyce Abdulmalik of the Federal High Court, Abuja, had ordered the forfeiture of the properties valued at N212.8billion, after the Economic and Financial Crimes Commission (EFCC), convinced him that they were obtained through illegal means by the former AGF-MoJ.
Before delivering the substantive judgment, the judge dismissed several applications, motions on notice and applications to show cause filed by Malami, his family members, and some companies linked to the properties, describing them as “wanting in merit”.
She held that the issue before the court was not “who owns the property, but how legitimate are the funds used to acquire the properties, adding that Malami, had “not dislodged the reasonable suspicion that the property was acquired by unlawful activities.”
But the ex-AGF-MoJ, in a statement conveyed through Bello Doka, his spokesman on Friday, stated that he respectfully disagreed with aspects of the judgment, though he remained fully committed to the rule of law and the independence of the judiciary.
He said he had instructed his legal team to immediately challenge the decision at the Court of Appeal, in line with his fundamental rights, adding that the judgement of the lower court was not the final stamp on the matter.
“The appellate process exists to ensure that every legal issue is thoroughly examined, and Mr. Malami is confident that justice will ultimately prevail,” he said, urging the public and the media to avoid premature conclusions while the judicial process runs its full course. Respect for due process remains the cornerstone of every democratic society.
Expressing his sincere appreciation of the prayers, goodwill, and steadfast support of the people of Kebbi State and Nigerians across the country, over the matter, he assured them that the development would not distract him from his unwavering commitment to serving the people and advancing his vision for a peaceful, secure, and prosperous Kebbi State.
“Supporters are encouraged to remain calm, peaceful, and law-abiding while allowing the courts to perform their constitutional role,” he said.
Adeniyi Adeyemi, controversial Director General of the Presidential Foreign Intervention Promotion Council (PFIPC), is to cough out a whopping N15billion, should he be found guilty of defaming Femi Gbajabiamila, Chief of Staff (CoS) to President Bola Tinubu.
The former Speaker of the House of Representatives, has approached the Federal Capital Territory (FCT) High Court, Abuja, Gbajabiamila, with a suit to compel the payment after flatly denying the allegation of the embattled DG, having ignored his earlier demand of N10billion and an apology from Adeyemi as the only option to stop the legal action.
Adeyemi, who was on Tuesday, arrested by the police in Osun State, barely hours after Justice Mohammed Umar of a Federal High Court in Abuja issued a warrant for that purpose, had publicly accused Gbajabiamila during a press conference on June 25, 2026, of demanding a 48 per cent kickback from a N27.3 billion take-off grant, after receiving an initial N400 million through a proxy, and demanded an additional N200 million balance.
Gbajabiamila, who handed him a 72-hour ultimatum to retract the allegation and tender a public apology or face legal action, in the suit filed on Thursday is seeking N10 billion as general damages, N5 billion as aggravated damages, N200 million as cost of the action, and an order compelling Adeyemi to publish a full retraction and apology in five national newspapers.
He is also asking the court to direct the defendant to pin the apology on all social media platforms and online channels where the alleged defamatory statements were published for 30 days.
The Chief of Staff, through his legal team from Pinheiro LP led by Kemi Pinheiro, SAN, described the allegations as false, malicious and defamatory.
In the statement of claim, Gbajabiamila denied ever meeting or communicating with Adeyemi or authorising anyone to act on his behalf.
Adeyemi, who had alleged at a press conference that a disagreement arose after Gbajabiamila purportedly demanded a 48 per cent kickback from the agency’s N27.3 billion take-off grant, had also claimed that N400 million had already been paid through a proxy on behalf of the Chief of Staff, while an additional N200 million was required to secure presidential approvals.
“The claimant has never met the defendant, never held any meeting with him and has never authorised any intermediary, representative, agent or proxy to demand or receive money on his behalf,” the court filing stated.
The suit also referred to Adeyemi’s claims regarding the alleged mysterious death of an intermediary, Mr. Babatunde Tanimola, whom he claimed served as the link between himself and the Chief of Staff.
Adeyemi alleged that Tanimola died in a suspicious hotel fire in Utako, Abuja, on October 22, 2025, a day after Gbajabiamila allegedly petitioned the police.
He further claimed that he narrowly escaped an assassination attempt along the Abuja-Kaduna Expressway in September 2025, and alleged that a “directive from above” instructed the Department of State Services, DSS, and the Nigeria Police Force to discontinue efforts to recover his stolen mobile phones, which he claimed contained crucial evidence.
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