Senator Natasha Akpoti-Uduaghan, representing Kogi Central Senatorial District, has defended her recent distribution of millions of naira in cash grants to constituents, following intense criticism and calls for an anti-graft investigation.
The controversy erupted after images and videos of the lawmaker handing out large bundles of cash during her third-anniversary empowerment program circulated on social media, sparking public debate over the propriety of the direct handouts.
Defending the exercise in a statement issued Wednesday by her media aide, Mike Idoko, Akpoti-Uduaghan explained that the direct cash intervention was based on explicit feedback from beneficiaries.
She noted that previous non-cash empowerments proved ineffective, as constituents often resold physical items like sewing machines to cover urgent expenses or boost capital.
According to her office, the grants—ranging from N100,000 to N5 million delivered via cash and bank transfers—were tailored to meet the specific operational needs of local farmers, tailors, content creators, and small-scale manufacturers across Kogi Central.
However, the Obi-Kwankwaso (OK) Movement strongly condemned the exercise, describing the public cash distribution as an act of open vote-buying and an affront to democratic principles.
In a statement released in Abuja, the OK Movement’s Director-General, John Ughulu, called on the Economic and Financial Crimes Commission (EFCC) to launch an immediate investigation into the source and legality of the funds.
Ughulu labelled the display a disgrace to the Nigerian Senate and vowed that the group would mobilize political resources to campaign against the senator’s return to the National Assembly.
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