Natasha Akpoti
Natasha Akpoti | |
|---|---|
 Portrait of Akpoti | |
| Born | Natasha Hadiza Akpoti 9 December 1979 |
| Nationality | Nigerian |
| Alma mater | |
| Occupation(s) | Barrister, politician |
| Political party | People Democratic Party[citation needed] |
| Website | natashaakpoti |
Natasha Hadiza Akpoti (1979[1]) is a Nigerian barrister and politician who is a member of the 10th Nigeria National Assembly representing Kogi Central Senatorial District since 2023.[2]
Born to a Nigerian father and Ukrainian mother, Akpoti was educated at the University of Abuja. Before joining politics and campaigning for senate during the 2019 Kogi State gubernatorial election under the Social Democratic Party,[3] she founded the Builders Hub Impact Investment Program (BHIIP). Akpoti was awarded the African Women Leadership Award by Jewel Taylor, the former vice president of the Liberia. Following her activism for the revival of the Ajaokuta Steel Mill, she received the presidential award from the Nigerian Society of Engineers in December 2017. She was elected a senator under the People's Democratic Party in 2023.
Early life
[edit]Akpoti is from the Ebira tribe of Kogi State. She was born on 9 December 1979 as the second of four children. Her father, Jimoh Abdul Akpoti, is from Kogi and her mother, Ludmila Kravchenk, is from Chernivtsi, Ukraine. She was raised in Ihima, Okehi.[4] Her father died in 1998.[5] Akpoti attended the University of Abuja (2000–2004), and graduated with a Bachelor of Laws. She proceeded to the Nigerian Law School and was called to the Nigerian bar in 2005. In 2011, she obtained her MBA in Oil and Gas management from the University of Dundee in 2012.[4] Akpoti is a mother of three children.[6] On 5 March 2022, she married Emmanuel Uduaghan in a ceremony at Ihima.[7]
Career
[edit]2007-2017
[edit]Akpoti worked as a legal counsel at Brass LNG from 2007 to 2010. In 2015, she established Builders Hub Impact Investment Program.[5] She came to limelight when she presented an investigative report to the National Assembly on 1 March 2018 that exposed corruption at the Ajaokuta steel mill.[8] The report was opposed by the Ministry of Mines and Steel Development, accusing Akpoti of misinformation. Another group alleges that she is sponsoring a campaign.[9] After a legal hearing by the High Court sitting in Abuja, The Authority Newspaper, Ifeanyi Ubah and Williams Orji were ordered to pay 10 million naira to Akpoti for libelous publication against her.[10]
Political career (2018-present)
[edit]In 2018, Akpoti declared her intentions to run for Senator under the Social Democratic Party. On 25 May 2022, she won the PDP's primaries for the 2023 Kogi State senatorial election.[11] She lost the senatorial election.[12] On 6 September 2023, she was declared winner by the election tribunal. On 31 October 2023, the Court of Appeal in Abuja ruled that she was the legitimate winner of the February 2023 senatorial election.[citation needed]
In February 2025, Akpoti-Uduaghan accused Senate President Godswill Akpabio of sexual assault on Arise News. Following her allegations, the Senate's ethics committee headed by the Senate President rejected her accusations, citing procedural rule violations, and recommended her suspension. Consequently, on March 6, 2025, she was suspended for six months, during which she will be barred from her office and have her allowances and security withdrawn. Akpoti-Uduaghan has filed a lawsuit against the Senate President, seeking ₦100 billion in damages.[13]
References
[edit]- ^ "KOGI CENTRAL 2019: Barr Natasha Akpoti, the dark horse in the race". Vanguard News. 29 December 2018. Retrieved 6 March 2025.
- ^ Ujah, Emma (25 July 2018). "2019: Ajaokuta Steel campaigner, Natasha Akpoti, joins senate race". Vanguard. Retrieved 2 March 2019.
- ^ Agbana, Ralph Omolu (10 November 2019). "Aftermath of court victory, SDP candidate, Natasha Akpoti pushes poll postponement". The Guardian Nigeria. Retrieved 29 December 2019.
- ^ a b "Natasha Akpoti: I Learnt Community Building, Service to Humanity from My Father". This Day. 9 March 2019. Archived from the original on 30 December 2019. Retrieved 30 December 2019.
- ^ a b Ujah, Emma (25 July 2018). "2019: Ajaokuta Steel campaigner, Natasha Akpoti, joins senate race". Vanguard. Archived from the original on 2 July 2019. Retrieved 29 December 2019.
- ^ "Natasha Akpoti: I Learnt Community Building, Service to Humanity from My Father". This Day. 9 March 2019. Retrieved 30 December 2019.
- ^ Oloniniran, Gbenga (5 March 2022). "Royal Wedding: Natasha Akpoti ties knot with Alema of Warri Kingdom". Punch Newspapers. Archived from the original on 26 March 2022. Retrieved 23 March 2022.
- ^ "SPECIAL REPORT: Ajaokuta Steel Company, Natasha Akpoti, House Of Reps And The Acquisition Plot". Sahara Reporters. 26 March 2018. Archived from the original on 17 November 2019. Retrieved 16 November 2019.
- ^ Adoyi, Ali (3 February 2017). "Group clashes with Natasha Akpoti over alleged sponsored campaign on Ajaokuta Steel Company". Daily Post. Archived from the original on 17 November 2019. Retrieved 16 November 2019.
- ^ "Top 5 influential female politicians in Nigeria you may not know". NewsWireNGR. 7 April 2022. Retrieved 21 February 2023.
- ^ "Natasha Akpoti picks PDP Senatorial ticket for Kogi Central". 25 May 2022. Archived from the original on 27 June 2022. Retrieved 1 August 2022.
- ^ "#NigeriaElections2023: Natasha loses Kogi Central senatorial seat to APC". Punch Newspapers. 28 February 2023. Archived from the original on 1 March 2023. Retrieved 1 March 2023.
- ^ "Nigerian senator suspended after making sexual harassment claims". BBC News. 6 March 2025. Retrieved 6 March 2025.