From Juliana Taiwo-Obalonye, Abuja
The Amalgamated Southern Nigeria Youths Forum has dismissed attempts by some northern groups, including the Arewa Youth Assembly For Good Leadership (AYAGL), to remove Senate President Godswill Akpabio over sexual harassment allegations made by Natasha Akpoti-Uduaghan as ‘dead on arrival’.
The forum views these efforts as a failed plot orchestrated by northern elements.
The AYAGL had accused Akpabio of being against the North, claiming that he was engaging in discriminatory practices and citing the suspension of Natasha Akpoti-Uduaghan as an example.
The group had argued that Akpabio was undermining northern representation and called for his accountability, urging President Bola Tinubu to intervene. They also demanded the immediate reversal of Akpoti-Uduaghan’s suspension, threatening civil protests if their demands were not met.
However, in reaction, the South-South youth group dismissed the allegations of sexual harassment against Akpabio as ‘politically motivated’ and ‘dead on arrival’. The group claimed these allegations are part of a failed plot by ‘some northern elements’ to remove Akpabio from office.
‘We stand by Senate President, His Excellency, Senator Godswill Akpabio,’ said the President of the forum, Oleh Victor. ‘The plan to remove the Senate President is an agenda by some northern elements that was handed down to Senator Natasha to execute, but they have failed woefully.’
The group also highlighted that the North has benefited significantly from Akpabio’s leadership, citing numerous projects and bills passed in favour of northern Nigeria, including the North Central Development Commission Bill.
In a warning to Arewa Youths, the group emphasised, ‘We have more capacity than they do. We have the oil and gas that drive the Nigerian economy.’ They also called for fairness in the establishment of industries, noting that the Niger Delta region should not be overlooked in favour of other regions like Kogi State.
‘We strongly support Senator Akpabio against the politically motivated sexual harassment narrative by Senator Natasha,’ Victor said.
The statement reads:
‘We stand by Senate President, His Excellency, Senator Godswill Akpabio: The plan to remove Senator Akpabio from office as Senate President by some northern elements through false allegations of sexual harassment has failed. It is dead on arrival.
‘We have seen very clearly that the plan to remove the Senate President is an agenda by some northern elements that was handed down to Senator Natasha to execute, but they have failed woefully as the wrongly planned sexual harassment accusation is now dead on arrival. One can see very clearly that what ordinarily should have been the affairs of the Senate has become the affairs of some Arewa elements using their youths to dictate to the Senate what to do. This is laughable.
‘They even alleged that the North has benefited nothing from the government since Senator Akpabio became the Senate President. This is another false allegation, like the sexual harassment allegation.
‘The 2024 and 2025 Nigerian budgets were and are loaded with a lot of projects for northern Nigeria. In fact, so many bills have been passed in favour of northern Nigeria, including the North Central Development Commission Bill, which was passed under the leadership of Senator Akpabio and assented to by Mr President.
‘One can see that Senator Natasha and her sponsors are serial liars.
‘We, the Amalgamated Southern Nigeria Youths Forum, hereby send strong warnings to the Arewa Youths and Senator Natasha to stop harassing our leader and mentor, His Excellency, Senator Godswill Akpabio.
‘They said they shall block the roads for the movement of goods and people. We hereby reply to them that we have more capacity than they do. We have the oil and gas that drive the Nigerian economy. In fact, we are sending a strong warning to the Arewa Youths.
‘We, the entire youth from southern Nigeria, hereby say that you cannot have five LNG plants in Kogi State without giving any to the Niger Delta. You must consider proximity to the source of raw materials in the establishment of industries. It is not Senator Akpabio who is saying this but the entire people from the Niger Delta through PANDEF, the apex socio-political body of the Niger Delta, the South-South geopolitical zone.
‘You take your money alone from gold, lithium, tin, and other solid minerals, but you live on the money from our gas and crude oil. We have the capacity to stop all northern Nigeria oil block owners from taking our oil.
‘Concisely, we strongly support Senator Akpabio against the politically motivated sexual harassment narrative by Senator Natasha.’