The Kogi Central Progressive Elites have cautioned the Obi-Kwankwaso Movement against involving the Economic and Financial Crimes Commission (EFCC) in partisan politics after the movement called for an investigation into Senator Natasha Akpoti-Uduaghan’s recent cash empowerment programme.
In a statement issued in Abuja on Thursday, the group’s President, Abdullahi Omeiza, described the demand as a politically motivated attempt to damage the senator’s reputation ahead of the 2027 general elections.
Omeiza expressed concern over what he called a growing trend of political actors using anti-corruption institutions and rhetoric for partisan ends. He stressed that while accountability remains essential, it must be based on facts, evidence and established legal processes rather than sensational narratives aimed at harming an elected official.
The group argued that constituency empowerment programmes involving direct financial assistance to beneficiaries should not automatically be labelled as vote-buying. Such initiatives can face legitimate scrutiny, it said, but any probe must be guided strictly by evidence and the law.
“The mere distribution of financial assistance to constituents does not, in itself, establish an offence of vote-buying,” the statement noted.Acknowledging that no one is above the law, the group warned against turning anti-graft agencies into tools of political intimidation.
It insisted that the EFCC must be allowed to carry out its statutory duties independently, free from political pressure or media-driven prejudgement.Omeiza challenged the Obi-Kwankwaso Movement to present any credible evidence to the appropriate authorities instead of relying on public declarations and inflammatory claims.
He maintained that the people of Kogi Central are capable of assessing their senator’s performance and deciding whether she deserves another term.Responding to the movement’s reported threat to mobilise against Akpoti-Uduaghan’s re-election, the group said the final decision rests with the electorate.
Political organisations are free to hold their preferences, it added, but they cannot replace the voters’ sovereign choice with threats or media campaigns.The group urged the senator to remain focused on representing her constituents and called on political actors to prioritise issue-based campaigns ahead of the 2027 elections.
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