Natasha Akpoti-Uduaghan biography: Few names in the Nigerian Senate have generated as much sustained national attention in recent years as Natasha Akpoti-Uduaghan. As the first woman ever elected to represent Kogi State in the Senate, her political rise was already historic on its own. But it is the events of 2025, a public sexual harassment allegation, a contested suspension, and a string of legal battles, that have turned her into one of the most closely watched figures in Nigerian politics. This is a factual look at her life, her career, and the controversy that has defined much of her recent time in office.
Natasha Akpoti-Uduaghan Age and Early Life
Natasha Hadiza Akpoti was born on December 9, 1979, in Ilorin, Kwara State, Nigeria, making her 46 years old as of 2026. She is from the Ebira ethnic group of Kogi State and was the second of four children born to her father, Jimoh Abdul Akpoti, who hails from Kogi State, and her mother, Ludmila Kravchenko, who is from Chernivtsi, Ukraine. She spent most of her childhood and early education in Ihima, Kogi State, an upbringing that combined Nigerian and Ukrainian cultural influences in a way she has said shaped her broader worldview on governance and justice.
She pursued her higher education at the University of Abuja, where she trained as a lawyer, a background that would later inform much of her advocacy and political work.
Early Activism and Career
Before entering elected politics, Akpoti-Uduaghan built a reputation as an activist and entrepreneur. She founded the Builders Hub Impact Investment Program, an initiative focused on supporting business development and investment opportunities. She also became known for her advocacy around the revival of the Ajaokuta Steel Mill, a long stalled and politically significant industrial project in Kogi State, work that earned her a presidential award from the Nigerian Society of Engineers in December 2017.
Her advocacy work also earned her the African Women Leadership Award, presented by Jewel Taylor, the former vice president of Liberia, recognition that reflected her growing profile as a voice for women’s empowerment and governance reform well before she held any elected office.
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Entering Politics
Akpoti-Uduaghan’s first attempt at elected office came in 2019, when she contested in the Kogi State gubernatorial election under the Social Democratic Party. That campaign was unsuccessful, but it established her as a serious and recognizable figure in Kogi State politics.
In 2023, she ran again, this time for the Senate seat representing Kogi Central Senatorial District, under the banner of the Peoples Democratic Party. She initially lost that election to the candidate of the All Progressives Congress, Abubakar Sadiku Ohere. However, following a legal challenge, the Court of Appeal in Abuja ruled in her favor in the resulting election dispute, declaring her the winner. Her victory made her the first woman ever elected as a senator from Kogi State, a genuinely historic milestone in the state’s political history.
Early Senate Career and Recognition
In her first years in the Senate, Akpoti-Uduaghan built a reputation as an outspoken legislator, frequently weighing in on national budget priorities, accountability in government spending, and civic participation. She has consistently urged Nigerians to engage in voter revalidation exercises and has spoken publicly about ensuring that government budgets translate into tangible impact for citizens rather than remaining abstract figures on paper.
Her early work earned her formal recognition within the industry. She was named Politician of the Year at the 2023 Leadership Excellence Awards, run by the Nigerian newspaper Leadership, and was described in that recognition as a proven force in Nigerian political circles. In 2024, she was shortlisted alongside fellow senator Boma Goodhead for the African Iconic Women Recognition Awards, and in 2025, she won the ThisDay Senator of the Year award.
The Sexual Harassment Allegation and Senate Suspension
The most consequential and widely reported chapter of Akpoti-Uduaghan’s Senate career began in February 2025, when she alleged during an interview on Arise TV that Senate President Godswill Akpabio had sexually harassed her, with the alleged incident said to have occurred in December 2023. Akpabio has publicly denied the allegation.
The situation escalated later that same month, on February 20, 2025, after Akpoti-Uduaghan confronted Akpabio over the relocation of her seat within the Senate chamber, an action that involved the removal of her name plate from its previous position. Her subsequent petition regarding the sexual harassment allegation was dismissed by the Senate’s Committee on Ethics and Privileges without a full investigation, on the technical basis that she had signed the petition herself. The committee’s chairman, Senator Neda Imasuen, publicly described the petition as dead on arrival.
The Senate went on to suspend Akpoti-Uduaghan. Senator Michael Opeyemi Bamidele stated that the suspension was related to a pattern of conduct on her part, including refusing to sit in her assigned seat, speaking without being formally recognized, engaging in what was described as disruptive behavior, and making remarks critical of Senate leadership. The Ethics Committee also recommended that she apologize to Akpabio over the harassment allegation, a recommendation that was put to a Senate vote on more than one occasion. Akpabio’s legal team, led by former Nigerian Bar Association president Olisa Agbakoba, demanded a retraction of the allegation, describing it as false and unsubstantiated, and pointed to what they characterized as inconsistencies in her account, including a since-deleted social media post in which she had publicly praised Akpabio the day after the alleged incident.
Akpoti-Uduaghan has maintained that she would not apologize for her allegations and has called for international scrutiny of how the Nigerian Senate handled the matter. Her suspension drew public criticism from a range of civil society organizations, including the Conference of Nigeria Political Parties and the Coalition of National Civil Society Organizations, both of which called for a transparent investigation. Atedo Peterside, the founder of Stanbic IBTC, also publicly criticized the suspension, describing it as disrespectful to her constituents.
On July 4, 2025, a court ruled to lift her suspension, though she was fined for contempt in connection with the matter and remained barred from physically entering the National Assembly for a period afterward. In early 2026, a separate criminal defamation case connected to the broader dispute was withdrawn by the federal government, a development reported as a legal win for the senator, though other legal proceedings tied to the saga remained scheduled for hearings later that year. In February 2026, she also took the matter to the Supreme Court, seeking to challenge aspects of her treatment by Senate leadership.
Reported Attacks on Her Family Home
Separately from the Senate dispute, Akpoti-Uduaghan reported in April 2025 that armed men had attacked her family’s home in Obeiba-Ihima, Kogi State, a property she said originally belonged to her grandfather. According to a statement from her media team, the assailants raided and vandalized the residence, though security forces were able to repel the attack and prevent further damage or injury. A further incident involving gunmen at the same family property was reported in June 2025. The circumstances and motives behind both incidents have not been independently confirmed, and they remain part of the broader, tense political backdrop surrounding her Senate tenure during that period.
Personal Life
Akpoti-Uduaghan married Emmanuel Oritsejolomi Otuoze Uduaghan, who holds the traditional title of High Chief and Alema of the Warri Kingdom, in a ceremony held in Ihima, Kogi State, on March 5, 2022. The couple has three children together. She has publicly credited her husband as a significant source of personal support throughout her political career, including during her announcement to seek re-election.
Seeking a Second Term
In April 2026, Akpoti-Uduaghan formally declared her intention to seek a second term as senator for Kogi Central, announcing the decision during a People’s Democratic Party stakeholders meeting in the district. She described the decision as having followed extensive consultation with constituents and her husband, and used the occasion to call for greater unity within the party ahead of the next election cycle. Local party figures have credited her first term with notable work in education, youth and women’s empowerment, and infrastructure advocacy within her district.
Natasha Akpoti-Uduaghan Net Worth in 2026
Estimates of Akpoti-Uduaghan’s net worth vary, with figures generally placed between 1 million and 5 million US dollars as of 2026. She is not considered among the wealthiest figures in Nigerian politics, and her public profile and influence are generally regarded as considerably larger than her financial standing alone would suggest.
Frequently Asked Questions
How old is Natasha Akpoti-Uduaghan? She was born on December 9, 1979, making her 46 years old as of 2026.
What seat does Natasha Akpoti-Uduaghan hold? She represents the Kogi Central Senatorial District in the Nigerian Senate, having been declared the winner of that seat by the Court of Appeal following a 2023 election dispute.
Why was Natasha Akpoti-Uduaghan suspended from the Senate? Senate leadership cited a pattern of alleged misconduct, including disruptive behavior, while the suspension followed her public allegation of sexual harassment against Senate President Godswill Akpabio, which he has denied.
Is Natasha Akpoti-Uduaghan married? Yes, she married Emmanuel Uduaghan in March 2022, and the couple has three children.
Is Natasha Akpoti-Uduaghan still suspended from the Senate? A court lifted her suspension in July 2025, though she faced a contempt fine and a period of restricted access to the National Assembly. Some related legal matters remained ongoing into 2026.
Is Natasha Akpoti-Uduaghan running for re-election? Yes, she formally declared her intention to seek a second term as senator in April 2026.
Conclusion
Natasha Akpoti-Uduaghan’s political career reflects both genuine historic achievement and deep, unresolved controversy. As the first woman ever elected to the Senate from Kogi State, her rise carries real significance for political representation in the state. At the same time, the sexual harassment allegation against the Senate President, her contested suspension, and the surrounding legal battles have made her one of the central, unresolved storylines in recent Nigerian politics. With a second term bid now underway and several legal matters still pending, her next chapter remains very much in progress.