Ekiti Governorship: Senator Natasha Denounces Reported Detention of PDP Supporters by Ruling APC Party

Senator Natasha Akpoti-Uduaghan, representing Kogi Central Senatorial District, has denounced the alleged arrest of Peoples Democratic Party members in Ekiti State by the All Progressive Congress ahead of the June 20 governorship election, calling for the immediate release of the detained individuals.

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Speaking at the PDP mega rally in Ado-Ekiti, Senator Akpoti-Uduaghan described politics driven by intimidation and bitterness as detrimental to democracy, emphasizing that parties and candidates should compete based on the strength of their manifestoes and ideas instead.

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The PDP had previously accused the APC of intimidating and arresting its members under the guise of ‘Form K’ to disenfranchise them ahead of the election, an accusation the APC dismissed as laughable, stating it does not need manipulation to win the polls.

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Sergeant Akpoti-Uduaghan urged the government to release those arrested under the PDP, believing that politics should be practiced without bitterness, and that candidates should campaign on their well-written manifestos, allowing the public to resonate with them on their ideals or philosophies.

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She expressed trust that the upcoming elections on June 20, 2026, will be fair and credible, and hopes for a positive outcome, while also emphasizing that politics should be practiced in a way that allows candidates to campaign on their manifestos and ideals.

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Responding to concerns about Nigeria drifting towards a one-party state due to the growing number of defections to the ruling party, Senator Akpoti-Uduaghan dismissed such fears, maintaining that the country's democratic system remains vibrant and competitive.

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The lawmaker urged Nigerians not to entertain fears of a one-party system, noting that democracy thrives on competition, and that other political parties should continue to organize and strengthen themselves, as politics in Nigeria can be intense but must not compromise democratic principles and citizens' rights.

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Sergeant Akpoti-Uduaghan described the gubernatorial candidate of the party in Ekiti, Wole Oluyede, as a competent candidate who will rescue the state from the claws of slavery, urging residents to cast their votes for the party for quality representation.

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She admitted that many PDP members, including about 38 Senators, had defected to the ruling party since she joined the Senate in November 2023, but expressed confidence in her party's strength and her own candidacy for the 2027 election in Kogi Central.

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Akpoti-Uduaghan encouraged other parties, including newly registered ones, to operate according to the rules and stay vigilant, acknowledging that politics in Nigeria can be brutal, but emphasizing that it should be void of violence, intimidation, harassment, and force.

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Dr Wole Oluyede, the party's governorship candidate, alleged that the incumbent governor was relying heavily on President Bola Tinubu's influence to secure re-election rather than campaigning on his achievements in office, and urged the President to allow the people of Ekiti State to freely choose their next governor.

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Oluyede stated that the governor was relying on the President's support to win the election, rather than his own achievements, and called on the President to decree that Ekiti State should be open to the best government, warning that supporting a failed government could lead to backlash.

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Prominent personalities at the event included the Director-General of the Campaign Council, Chief Makanjuola Ogundipe; Ekiti PDP governorship candidate in the 2022 election, Bisi Kolawole; Senator Duro Fasuyi of the 8th Senate; and former Speaker of the Ekiti State House of Assembly and former Acting Governor, Tunji Odeyemi, among others.