Senator Natasha Akpoti-Uduaghan, who represents Kogi Central, says she has repeatedly rejected overtures from the Presidency and some colleagues in the National Assembly urging her to defect to the ruling All Progressives Congress (APC).
The Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) lawmaker made the disclosure during an interview on Mic On Podcast hosted by Seun Okinbaloye, published on YouTube on Saturday. She ruled out joining the APC, even if the internal crisis in the PDP deepens, saying she has no intention of returning to a party she briefly belonged to in the past.
“I don’t have to follow the bandwagon or succumb to threats or cajolery,” she said, adding that the approaches have been persistent and have come from “high places,” including within the Presidency and the Senate.
Akpoti-Uduaghan said she is comfortable remaining in the PDP, noting that conversations about a possible re-election bid in 2027 are ongoing, though no final decision has been made.
On speculation that former Kogi State governor Yahaya Bello may seek the Kogi Central senatorial seat in 2027, the first-term senator said she is not intimidated, insisting she is ready for any contest and recalling her victory over a Bello-backed candidate in 2023.
She reaffirmed her loyalty to the PDP but cautioned that a prolonged leadership crisis within the party could compel her to consider other political options.
