Natasha Akpoti-Uduaghan : The defiant steel magnolia 

With the recent Court of Appeal ruling affirming her as the winner of the Kogi Central Senatorial election held last February, politician and entrepreneur, Natasha Akpoti-Uduaghan proves that she is more than just a pretty face; she’s an embodiment of the delicate strength of the iconic flower steel magnolia- resilient, determined, and beautifully defiant, writes Vanessa Obioha

The news of her victory at the Appeal Court in Abuja spread like wildfire, evoking laudatory remarks about her resilience. The court in its ruling affirmed that the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) senatorial candidate for Kogi Central, Natasha Akpoti-Uduaghan, won the election instead of the All Progressives Congress’s (APC) candidate, Abubakar Sadiku-Ohere.

It was only a matter of time before Akpoti-Uduaghan became the poster woman for female politicians. In a whirlwind of celebratory messages, her triumph underscored the unwavering resilience, determination and doggedness that secured her victory, inspiring a wave of hope in the realm of Nigerian politics. Former Presidential Adviser on National Assembly Matters, Senator Florence Ita-Giwa called her a classic example of the calibre of woman politician that she has been advocating for over the years.

In a statement, the senator applauded her doggedness in the face of intimidating odds, stating that the trait has deservedly earned her a seat in the Senate.

“Even though she is not a member of my party, all the same, I salute her political courage,” the statement read.

The former presidential candidate of the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) Atiku Abubakar hailed her on the platform X (formerly Twitter) as an excellent example of a woman in politics.

“Senator Natasha Akpoti-Uduaghan is an excellent example of a woman in politics. She is bold and courageous. Her hard fight to reclaim her seat in the Senate tells of her remarkable character,” the post read.

Akpoti-Uduaghan’s triumph garnered extensive celebration for multiple reasons. Her victory arrived during a period when faith in the judiciary, especially concerning election matters, had dwindled. It served as a beacon of hope for Nigerian politicians embroiled in legal disputes, contrasting with recent events such as the failed cases of the PDP and Labour’s Party presidential candidates, Abubakar and Peter Obi. Their unsuccessful attempts to overturn the victory of the incumbent president, Bola Tinubu of the APC, from the tribunal to the Supreme Court underscored the rarity of successful challenges in the judicial system.

Therefore, Akpoti-Uduaghan’s victory marked a significant milestone for politicians seeking to reclaim their victory in elections. A good example is the governorship candidate of the Social Democratic Party (SDP) in Kogi State, Muritala Ajaka, who has boldly stated that he is drawing inspiration from the Appeal Court decision that declared Akpoti-Uduaghan as the rightful winner of Kogi Central Senatorial District in the last general election.

“Once more, the judiciary has rekindled hope that electoral victory procured through violence and manipulation can only be temporary,” he said in a statement signed by his spokesperson, Farouq Adejoh. He added, “But thanks to your indefatigability and the resolve of the judiciary to do justice without fear or favour, you have ended the era of electoral impunity in Kogi State today.”

Akpoti-Uduaghan was the governorship candidate of the SDP in the 2019 Kogi election. With the number of female politicians who had bowed to pressure and shelved their political ambitions, Akpoti-Uduaghan’s success serves as a remarkable example of how perseverance and doggedness can pay off. As rightly stated by Senator Ita-Giwa, the Nigerian political landscape is unfriendly to female politicians.

“Natasha’s epic battle with powerful men in her state is sadly the lot of most women in politics who have to battle unprincipled male politicians for political space. In the course of my political career, I have had to confront and beat back unscrupulous male politicians who have continually tried to intimidate me politically.”

Indeed, Akpoti-Uduaghan was intimidated in her bid for the Kogi Central senatorial election. A few days before the senatorial elections held in February, it was alleged that the Kogi State government excavated portions of the road linking to her senatorial district. This was seen as a deliberate act to forestall the transportation of electoral materials to the district elections.

However, the government justified this action as a measure to prevent access by hoodlums who had made the route a thoroughfare. Despite these challenges, the election took place, and Sadiku-Ohere of the APC was declared the winner.

Dissatisfied with the outcome, Akpoti-Uduaghan contested the decision at the Kogi State National Assembly Election Petitions Tribunal in Lokoja. She highlighted electoral discrepancies and omitted results from key areas in the senatorial district: Ajaokuta, Adavi and Okehi, arguing that these votes constituted her winning margin over Sadiku-Ohere.

After reviewing the evidence, the tribunal affirmed Akpoti-Uduaghan as the legitimate winner, recognising her fulfillment of constitutional requirements for victory.

The tribunal Chairman, Justice K.A. Orjiakoin ruled that she scored 54,064 votes to edge out Sadiku-Ohere, who polled 51,291 votes.  He directed Sadiku-Ohere to pay Akpoti-Uduaghan the sum of N500,000 as the cost of litigation for the petition.

Sadiku-Ohere appealed the verdict, yet on Tuesday, October 31, a three-man panel of the appellate court dismissed his appeal for lacking merit. The court highlighted the appellant’s failure to present convincing evidence to invalidate Akpoti-Uduaghan’s victory, validating her persistent pursuit of the Kogi Central senatorial seat.

While Sadiku-Ohere as well as the governor of Kogi, Yahaya Bello, had congratulated her on her victory, Akpoti-Uduaghan found the latter’s congratulatory message pretentious. In an interview, she tackled the governor for describing her victory as “the beauty of democracy.”

“He (Yahaya Bello) said this is the beauty of politics. This is not the beauty of politics,” she said. “You don’t endanger people, you don’t destroy properties, and you don’t frustrate the electoral process just because you want your candidate to win and call it ‘the beauty of democracy.’”

Akpoti-Uduaghan embodied the steel magnolia, a symbol of feminine beauty and resilience. Like the flower, she adapted and persevered without resorting to unscrupulous tactics common in politics, relying on intelligence and factual support to assert her victory in the senatorial elections.

Born in 1979 to a mixed-race heritage — her father was a Nigerian and her mother, a Ukrainian — Akpoti-Uduaghan’s journey began in the challenging political landscape of Nigeria. Her childhood days were spent in Ihima, Okene Local Government Area but following her father’s death in 1998, the family had to relocate. The mother of three got married to the Alema of Warri, Chief Emmanuel Uduaghan on March 5, 2022.

Her educational pursuits in law and her tenure in investigative endeavours elevated her prominence before her plunge into politics in 2018.

Akpoti-Uduaghan studied law at the University of Abuja and was called to the Nigerian Bar in 2005 upon graduation from the Nigerian Law School in Abuja. In 2011, she proceeded to the University of Dundee for a master’s degree in law. She holds an MBA in Oil and Gas Management from the University of Dundee.

After her stint as a legal counsel at Brass NLG, she established the Builders Hub Impact Investment Program (BHIIP) in 2015. She gained national attention by presenting an investigative report to the National Assembly on corrupt practices linked to the Ajaokuta steel mill. The report revealed repeated misallocation of government funds and ongoing embezzlement, a factor contributing to the steel mill’s stagnation. Despite opposition from the Federal Ministry of Mines and Steel Development, and allegations from small-scale steel dealers, a High Court in Abuja ruled in Akpoti’s favour, ordering publishers of libellous content to pay her N10 million in damages.

In 2018, she commenced her political journey by announcing her governorship bid for Kogi State under the SDP in 2019 where unprecedented violence and threats to her life were meted out on her. Even some of her properties were destroyed and burnt.

Subsequently, she shifted to the PDP and triumphed in the party’s primaries for the 2023 Kogi Central senatorial elections in May 2022. With her landmark victory at the Appeal Court, Akpoti-Uduaghan is keen on making a bold statement about female participation in politics.

“Our people want good representation and they voted for it. I am out to prove to Nigerians that women folk are intelligent,” she said.