A war of words has erupted between Senator Natasha Akpoti-Uduaghan and U.S.-based activist Dr. Sandra Duru (also known as Professor Mgbeke), following allegations that Akpoti-Uduaghan’s sexual harassment claims against Senate President Godswill Akpabio were politically motivated.
In a Facebook live broadcast, Duru alleged that the accusations were part of a larger plot to prevent President Bola Ahmed Tinubu from securing a second term. She claimed to have submitted audio recordings of her alleged conversations with the suspended Kogi Central senator to U.S. and international authorities for forensic analysis.
Duru further alleged that Akpoti-Uduaghan offered her N200 million to falsely accuse Akpabio of organ harvesting in connection with the death of a young woman, after her sexual harassment claims failed to gain traction. She called for investigations by global security agencies, the Inter-Parliamentary Union (IPU), and the Nigeria Police Force.
According to Duru, Akpoti-Uduaghan allegedly stated that her real motive was to remove what she called the “Yoruba government,” claiming she’d been promised a political reward, such as the Kogi State governorship or a ministerial role, if she succeeded in discrediting the Senate President.
Duru accused Akpoti-Uduaghan of lying, sharing call logs and WhatsApp messages in an attempt to disprove claims that they had never spoken. She labeled the senator as manipulative and divisive, alleging she was on a mission to “destroy men.”
In response, Senator Akpoti-Uduaghan firmly denied all of Duru’s claims, dismissing the Facebook livestream and the audio clips attributed to her as manipulated and false. In a statement, she accused Duru of pushing a narrative scripted by Senate President Akpabio and said she would issue a full response to the allegations in due course.