Natasha, Akpabio face -off vindicates Yahaya Bello – Sen. Karimi

By Thompson Yamput

Sen. Sunday Karimi (APC-Kogi) says  the current crisis involving Sen. Natasha Akpoti-Uduaghan and President of the Senate, Godswill Akpabio  has  vindicated former Kogi governor,  Yahaya Bello.

Karimi who represents Kogi West Senatorial District, made the assertion on Sunday while speaking to newsmen in Lokoja, describing the face-off  as “very unfortunate and avoidable. ”

“As a key player in the national assembly, I can comfortably say that the former governor could, after all, not have been blamed for what Akpoti-Uduaghan blamed him for in the state prior to the national assembly election.

“I’m sure Bello must have seen it coming, when Akpoti-Uduaghan won the election to represent the Kogi Central Senatorial District in 2023.

“Again, at the heat of the crisis, other Kogi lawmakers and I, played major roles in ensuring that the state was not  ridiculed.

“Unfortunately, reasonings could not  prevail. Our intervention was rebuffed by her.”

He said that no well meaning resident of Kogi would say he or she is happy with what has happened in the national assembly with Akpoti-Uduaghan at the centre of it all.

According to him, before then,  she had several running battles with Bello, before, during and after the national assembly elections in Kogi.

‘I can say that what is happening now in the senate is a total mess and an embarrassment brought upon the Kogi central senatorial district and  the entire state.

“In fact, the recent happenings at the national assembly have only vindicated Bello, ” he said.

Karimi lamented that, in spite of sincere appeals and advice to Akpoti-Uduaghan, she rebuffed all.

He claimed that all admonitions to her fell on deaf ears, which “One can therefore come to terms with the fact that Bello saw it coming.”

According to him, it is unfortunate that the needless embarrassment of  the crisis can still be brought to the state and the entire nation.

The News Agency of Nigeria (NAN) recalls that Akpoti-Uduagham had in October 2023, as a senator- elect, accused Bello, the then  Kogi  governor of  orchestrating a deliberate and malicious plot to  endanger her well-being during the senatorial election.

These claims were publicly articulated during her appearance in the Tuesday edition of the political affairs programme “Politics Today” on Channels Television.(NAN)