Natasha Akpoti-Uduaghan Defends Cash Empowerment Grants as Obi-Kwankwaso Movement Demands EFCC Probe

Senator Natasha Akpoti-Uduaghan has defended her decision to distribute cash grants worth millions of naira to constituents in Kogi Central, saying the intervention was based on beneficiaries’ preference for direct financial assistance.

However, the Obi-Kwankwaso Movement has called on the Economic and Financial Crimes Commission (EFCC) to investigate the exercise over allegations of vote-buying.

The controversy followed the circulation of photographs and videos showing the cash distribution during an event marking Akpoti-Uduaghan’s third anniversary in the 10th National Assembly.

Responding to the criticism, the senator said feedback from previous empowerment programmes influenced her decision to provide cash instead of business equipment.

In a statement issued through her media aide, Mike Idoko, she explained that some beneficiaries who previously received sewing machines sold the equipment to raise money for other needs, including business expansion and rent payments.

“I have given out sewing machines to many, and at the end of the day, I realised they sold them to either boost their businesses or pay rent,” she said.

“So I have decided to give cash to those who requested support to start a business or add more stock. Some will get N5m through transfer.”

The senator said entrepreneurs had different business needs and operational challenges, making direct financial assistance a practical option for supporting their activities.

She also described the grants as part of her commitment to strengthening small businesses and improving economic opportunities across Kogi Central.

According to reports on the programme, beneficiaries received amounts ranging from N100,000 to N5 million, depending on their business needs. Some reportedly received N2 million, N3 million and N4 million, while others were given up to N5 million through bank transfers.

The Obi-Kwankwaso Movement, however, condemned the exercise, describing it as an apparent case of open vote-buying and calling for an investigation by the EFCC.

In a statement issued in Abuja, the movement’s Director-General, John Ughulu, urged the anti-graft agency to investigate the circumstances surrounding the distribution and prosecute anyone found culpable.

“The OK Movement strongly condemns the reported cash empowerment exercise by Senator Natasha Akpoti-Uduaghan. The action is an apparent case of open vote-buying and a serious affront to democratic principles,” the statement said.

The group argued that elected officials should not use financial inducements to influence citizens’ electoral choices.

It also announced plans to mobilise political resources against Akpoti-Uduaghan’s return to the Senate, accusing her of undermining democratic principles through the public distribution of cash.

The senator has maintained that the payments were business grants provided in response to requests from constituents, while the movement wants the EFCC to establish whether the exercise involved electoral misconduct.