Former Kogi State Governor Yahaya Bello has predicted victory over Senator Natasha Akpoti-Uduaghan in the 2027 Kogi Central senatorial election, expressing confidence that the All Progressives Congress (APC) will win the seat.
Speaking on TVC’s Politics on Sunday on October 18, 2026, Bello said the election would demonstrate his popularity among voters.
“The result will speak for itself,” he said, forecasting “massive votes” and a decisive victory for himself and the APC.
Bello secured the APC ticket for the contest in May 2026 after polling 72,399 votes in the party’s senatorial primary. He will challenge Akpoti-Uduaghan, who won the seat for the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) in 2023.
That election was fiercely contested. The Independent National Electoral Commission initially declared APC candidate Abubakar Sadiku-Ohere the winner with 52,132 votes, against Akpoti-Uduaghan’s 51,763.
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However, the election petition tribunal overturned the declaration on September 6, 2023, after reviewing disputed results from polling units in Ajaokuta Local Government Area. It declared Akpoti-Uduaghan the winner with 54,074 votes against Ohere’s 51,291. The Court of Appeal upheld the decision on October 31, 2023.
Bello and Akpoti-Uduaghan have also been embroiled in a prolonged political dispute. In October 2022, the former governor accused the senator of involvement in the Ajaokuta killings and the Kuje prison break, incidents that occurred between June and July that year. She denied the allegations, saying she was in the United States for pregnancy-related reasons and childbirth at the time.
On November 4, 2022, Akpoti-Uduaghan responded by describing Bello as a “murderer, serial killer, and a terror to the people of Kogi State.”
Their dispute has also led to legal proceedings, including a defamation case arising from the senator’s televised remarks.
Bello’s bid sets up a high-profile challenge to the incumbent, whose victory in 2023 survived judicial scrutiny. His latest prediction remains a campaign claim, with the outcome of the 2027 contest ultimately resting with voters.