A defiant Senator Natasha Akpoti-Uduaghan returned to Kogi Central on Tuesday, disregarding a government-imposed ban on public gatherings.
Arriving by chopper in Okehi Local Government Area, she was met by a jubilant crowd, eager to celebrate her homecoming.
Her arrival came just hours after the Kogi State government cited security concerns as the reason for banning rallies and public gatherings. Okehi LGA chairman, Amoka Monday, had even declared a curfew in the area. The state’s police command also warned Akpoti-Uduaghan against holding her planned Eid-el-Fitr celebration rally, urging her to cancel the event.
But the senator remained resolute. Speaking in Ebira, she declared, “Nobody and nothing can stop me from coming home. I’m an Ebira person; this is my land. I know my roots; I’m not a bastard, and I’m not afraid of anybody.”
Ahead of her return, Akpoti-Uduaghan alleged that any outbreak of violence during the event should be blamed on Senate President Godswill Akpabio, Kogi State Governor Usman Ododo, and former Governor Yahaya Bello.
“My dear people of Kogi Central, I look forward to our peaceful Sallah celebrations today,” she wrote on Facebook. “However, should we be met with or infiltrated by violence, Nigerians should hold Gov Ododo, Yahaya Bello & SP Godswill Akpabio wholly responsible.”
