Akpoti-Uduaghan: Fear Silenced

Colleagues, Couldn’t Break Me

•Recounts suspension ordeal, inaugurates model schools for Fulani child

Sunday Aborisade in Abuja

The senator for Kogi Central Senatorial District, Natasha Akpoti-Uduaghan, has revealed how fear of political persecution silenced many of her colleagues in the senate during her period of suspension.

Akpoti-Uduaghan said she turned her ordeal into a springboard for service to humanity through transformative constituency projects.

A statement by her media office on Monday explained that the senator spoke at the commissioning of a new market in Okene

Akpoti-Uduaghan described her suspension as “illegal,” stating that the experience exposed the deep undercurrents of fear and political intimidation that often shape behaviour within the corridors of power.

She said, “When a government official faces challenges, isolation comes naturally. Even when people are sympathetic, they are afraid to associate with you openly for fear of being castigated or persecuted.

“Many senators stood by me quietly. They called, they visited, but in public, they couldn’t show it. I’m not offended by that.”

According to the lawmaker, her suspension did not only test her personal resilience but also created ripple effects that stalled the execution of constituency projects in Kogi Central.

She disclosed that contractors handling projects in her district faced delays and obstacles due to political interference that accompanied her ordeal.

Akpoti-Uduaghan said, “The 2025 budget only became active during the course of my illegal suspension. A number of contractors struggled to get their award letters because the projects were allocated to Kogi Central. It wasn’t easy getting these awards and commencing construction because of politics.”

Despite the challenges, Akpoti-Uduaghan said she refused to allow her constituents suffer on account of her political persecution.

Instead, she doubled down on efforts to deliver projects that directly impacted lives, a resolve that birthed some of her most ambitious interventions yet.

One of such landmark initiatives was the construction and commissioning of state-of-the-art model schools for Fulani children in Osara, Adavi Local Government Area of Kogi State.

The statement said the project launch, which formed part of activities marking Akpoti-Uduaghan’s second anniversary in office, underscored her determination to bridge educational inequality and promote inclusion among marginalised communities.

The statement explained that the schools represented “a landmark step toward bridging inequality in access to education across rural and nomadic settlements”.

The newly built facilities included both primary and secondary schools, each with six classrooms, two dormitories for boys and girls, staff offices, and solar-powered lighting systems.

The schools also feature water and sanitation infrastructure, ensuring a conducive environment for learning.

At the commissioning ceremony attended by community leaders, education officials, and Fulani representatives, Akpoti-Uduaghan declared that education should not be a privilege reserved for a few but a right accessible to every child.

She said, “Education must not be a privilege; it is a right. I want every child, whether from Okene, Adavi, Ajaokuta, Okehi, or Ogori-Magongo, to learn in a safe, modern, and dignified environment. That is what this project represents.”

She lamented that children in nomadic and rural settlements had long been excluded from mainstream education due to neglect and geographical barriers.

To address this, she said her long-term vision was to promote literacy, inclusion, and self-reliance among populations often described as “the forgotten.”

Community leaders and parents in Osara hailed the schools as a transformative intervention that had redefined their hopes for the future.

The traditional ruler of the area, who led a delegation of Fulani elders to the event, described the project as “an answered prayer,” commending Akpoti-Uduaghan for demonstrating “true leadership and empathy for the voiceless”.

One parent, Mrs. Maimuna Yusuf, expressed gratitude that her children would no longer walk long distances to attend school in neighbouring communities.

“Now, they have a school they can call their own, thanks to Senator Natasha,” Yusuf said.

The Osara project is one among several people-centred initiatives being executed by Akpoti-Uduaghan across Kogi Central.

Others include the construction of 40 solar-powered water reticulation systems, installation of smart solar streetlights, establishment of 160 modern market shops, and the building of a new health centre.

She also announced upcoming empowerment programmes for women farmers, artisans, and small-scale traders as part of her two-year stewardship celebration, emphasising her commitment to inclusive development and grassroots empowerment.

For many residents of Kogi Central, Akpoti-Uduaghan’s resilience in the face of adversity had become symbolic of a new brand of leadership, one defined not by political alignment, but by compassion, courage, and a relentless drive to deliver tangible results.