Senator Sunday Karimi, who represents Kogi West, has weighed in on the ongoing dispute involving Senator Natasha Akpoti-Uduaghan and Senate President Godswill Akpabio. Karimi stated that the controversy surrounding the Kogi Central senator has justified the stance of former Governor Yahaya Bello.
Speaking to journalists in Lokoja on Sunday, Karimi noted that recent developments indicate that Bello was not to blame for the previous tensions between him and Akpoti-Uduaghan before the National Assembly elections. He reacted to the ongoing disagreement between Akpoti-Uduaghan and Akpabio, which has sparked a major debate within the Senate.
Karimi said, “Former Governor Yahaya Bello must have seen it coming.”
He explained that he and other lawmakers from Kogi had worked hard to prevent the state from being drawn into controversy, but their efforts were ignored. “Other Kogi lawmakers and I played major roles in ensuring that the state was not brought to ridicule, but no amount of reasoning could prevail. Our intervention was rebuffed,” he said.
He further noted, “All our admonition to her fell on deaf ears. One can therefore come to terms with the fact that former Gov Yahaya Bello saw it coming.”
Karimi criticized the situation, stating that it has damaged the reputation of Kogi State and has even become a national issue. “Sen. Natasha has not only rubbished the perception of the state; from the events happening now in Nigeria, she has also embarrassed the entire country,” he said.
He described the ongoing controversy in the Senate as unfortunate and placed the blame on Akpoti-Uduaghan for not listening to advice from her colleagues. He added that despite multiple appeals, the issue has led to unnecessary embarrassment for both the state and the country.
The crisis in the National Assembly erupted following allegations of sexual harassment made by Akpoti-Uduaghan against Senate President Akpabio. The situation escalated, leading to her suspension for allegedly failing to follow Senate rules.
