‘The voice not mine’- Natasha distances self from newly fabricated audio, video circulating online

Senator Natasha Akpoti-Uduaghan, who represents Kogi Central in the National Assembly, has refuted the authenticity of a viral video and audio recording circulating on social media, which claimed she accused Senate President Godswill Akpabio of coercing President Bola  Tinubu to prosecute and jail her.

In a statement personally signed and released on Wednesday in Abuja, the senator labeled the recordings as “deliberate misinformation” designed to malign her character and stir up disunity within Nigeria’s political leadership.

“My attention has been drawn to a video currently trending online purporting to feature me in a conversation with a journalist in which I allegedly claimed that the Senate President, Senator Godswill Akpabio, blackmailed President Bola Ahmed Tinubu to ensure that the Federal Government jails me,” the statement reads.

“I categorically and unequivocally dissociate myself from the said video and audio recording. At no time did I grant such an interview or engage in any conversation of that nature with any journalist or individual. The voice in the video is not mine and has clearly been cloned and manipulated with malicious intent.”

Describing the materials as a calculated attempt to incite public suspicion and erode trust in the National Assembly and the federal government, she condemned the use of technology to propagate falsehoods.

“This is a deliberate act of misinformation targeted at damaging my reputation, inciting public distrust, and sowing discord within the leadership of the National Assembly and the Federal Government. I find this act not only mischievous and criminal but also a dangerous use of technology to spread disinformation.”

She appealed to Nigerians to disregard the circulating content and called it the work of “desperate elements.”

“The general public is hereby advised to disregard the said video in its entirety. It is false, misleading, and should be treated as a product of desperate elements intent on tarnishing the image of a law-abiding and peace-loving public servant.

“I remain committed to the principles of truth, justice, and responsible democratic engagement. I have already directed my legal team and relevant security agencies to investigate the source of this malicious content, with a view to bringing the perpetrators to justice.”

The senator urged Nigerians to stay alert in the face of increasing digital impersonation and political misinformation.

“The public is further advised to be vigilant and not to fall prey to coordinated campaigns of disinformation and digital impersonation aimed at misleading Nigerians and causing undue political tension.”