I Won’t Join APC, I’m Committed to PDP – Senator Natasha Akpoti-Uduaghan Ahead of 2027 Elections
Senator Natasha Akpoti-Uduaghan of Kogi Central has confirmed that she has been approached several times by officials from the Presidency and some colleagues to join the ruling All Progressives Congress (APC), but she has consistently declined, affirming her commitment to the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP).
Speaking on the Mic On Podcast with Seun Okinbaloye, she explained that joining the APC is not an option for her. “I was in APC briefly at the start of everything. Why should I go and join APC? I don’t have to follow the bandwagon or succumb to threats or cajolery. I’ve been approached many times, even as recently as yesterday someone joked, ‘We’re still expecting, we would love to have you.’ But I love my space, I love my peace, and I’m okay with my party now,” she said.
Akpoti-Uduaghan also revealed she is considering running for the Senate again in 2027, with discussions ongoing within her party. She addressed speculations about a possible contest against former Kogi Governor Yahaya Bello, saying she is unafraid. “If I decide to contest after consulting my family, constituents, and party, and I am on the ballot against Yahaya Bello, then I would say, bring it on. I am not scared of him. He was a sitting governor and used all his powers against me, yet I defeated his candidate in 2023,” she said.
The senator, a first-term lawmaker in the 10th Assembly, represents Kogi Central, the same district Bello hails from. She won her seat in 2023 under the PDP after a tribunal in Lokoja overturned the initial victory of APC candidate Abubakar Sadiku-Ohere, declaring her the winner with 54,074 votes against Ohere’s 51,291.
While she intends to run under the PDP again, Akpoti-Uduaghan said she could consider switching parties if the PDP fails to resolve its ongoing leadership crisis. “If I decide to contest in 2027 and the PDP hasn’t resolved its crisis, I would need just a month to choose a platform, and my supporters will move with me,” she added.
