A political pressure group, Action Collective (AC), has dismissed allegations of budget padding leveled against Senator Natasha Akpoti-Uduaghan by Senate President Godswill Akpabio, describing them as baseless, mischievous, and a desperate attempt at diversion.
In a statement signed by its National Coordinator, Teddy Onyejuwe, AC condemned Akpabio’s claims that Senator Akpoti-Uduaghan inflated the budget of the Senate Local Content Committee, which she previously chaired.
The group argued that this accusation is merely a distraction from the pressing issues of sexual harassment and procedural violations surrounding the senator’s controversial suspension.
The controversy erupted after Jeff Onyema, Special Adviser to Akpabio, claimed in a video published by News Central TV that Akpoti-Uduaghan’s sexual harassment allegations were driven by her removal as Chair of the Local Content Committee.
He further accused her of padding the committee’s budget by N30 billion.
Action Collective, however, countered these claims, stating that the real reason behind her removal was her successful lobbying for five LNG projects approved by President Bola Tinubu for Kogi State—a move that reportedly angered Akpabio.
“Rather than throwing baseless accusations at a senator no longer chairing the committee, Akpabio should focus on addressing the sexual harassment allegations against him,” the group stated.
“It is on record that a former Acting Managing Director of the Niger Delta Development Commission (NDDC) also accused Akpabio of similar misconduct. Could this be mere coincidence?”
Onyejuwe further criticized the manner of Akpoti-Uduaghan’s suspension, arguing that Akpabio disregarded procedural rules and let his emotions dictate actions.
“How can the highest lawmaking body in the country ignore a court order?” Onyejuwe questioned. “The answer is simple—desperation. Akpabio has a track record of disregarding due process.
Let him tell Nigerians why he also engineered the suspension of Senator Abdul Ningi. Was it not for budget padding allegations that originated from him and were largely allocated to his constituency?”
AC emphasized that since a new chairman now leads the Local Content Committee, the allegations against Akpoti-Uduaghan hold no weight.
The group maintained that these claims are a smokescreen to divert attention from the more serious matters at hand—sexual harassment allegations and the controversial suspension process.
“The Senate President would be better served focusing on governance rather than using his aides as attack dogs to deflect from real issues,” the statement concluded.
