The Senator representing Kogi Central, Mrs Natasha Akpoti-Uduaghan, has played down concerns over the 2027 senatorial ambition of former Kogi State governor, Alhaji Yahaya Bello, insisting that his decision to join the race poses no threat to her political standing.
Akpoti-Uduaghan, who currently occupies the Kogi Central Senatorial seat, said she was neither pressured nor unsettled by Bello’s declaration, describing the development as a welcome addition to the democratic process.
Speaking through her Special Adviser on Media, Mr Mike Idoko, the lawmaker told journalists that there was no cause for alarm, stressing that she remained confident and focused on her mandate.
“We don’t see it as a threat. In fact, we are happy that he wants to contest. We are waiting for them,” she said.
Akpoti-Uduaghan was elected into the Senate in 2023 after a prolonged legal battle, making history as the first woman to represent Kogi Central in the upper chamber. A lawyer and former governorship aspirant, she has since positioned herself as a key political figure within the state.
Bello, who governed Kogi State for two terms, had earlier announced his intention to contest the Kogi Central Senatorial seat in the 2027 general elections. The declaration was made during a visit to the palace of the Ohinoyi of Ebiraland, where he met with traditional rulers, religious leaders and other stakeholders from the district.
A video of the visit, later shared on Bello’s verified Facebook page, captured the former governor openly accepting calls to run for the Senate. “I accept to run for the Senate in 2027,” he was heard telling the gathering.
Also present at the event was the current Governor of Kogi State, Alhaji Ahmed Usman Ododo, alongside other political leaders and community representatives. The governor was said to have appealed to his predecessor to heed the requests of party leaders and constituents urging him to represent the district at the National Assembly.
The appeal, according to sources, was made in the presence of the Ohinoyi of Ebiraland and other influential figures from the area, underscoring the growing political momentum around the 2027 contest.
