Natasha Akpoti-Uduaghan

By Jethro Ibileke 

The group, Action Collective, has raised serious doubts on the hacking narrative, by Mr. Ken Okolugbo, the Communication Adviser to Senate President Godswill Akpabio, over the now-deleted confessional statement he made on his verified X (formerly Twitter) account, where he admitted being part of a coordinated plan to malign Senator Natasha Akpoti-Uduaghan.

The group’s National Coordinator, Mr. Teddy Onyejuwe, in a statement on Sunday, said Okolugbo’s subsequent claim that his account was hacked is insufficient and lacks credibility.

Onyejuwe, who wondered how a compromised account could be recovered in less than two hours and why the post was left active for over an hour if it was indeed unauthorised, called on Okolugbo to take full responsibility for it.

“You must prove your innocence. Denial is not enough. Nigerians need more than vague excuses. Where is the evidence that your account was hacked? Why did it take someone else to alert you before you took action?” the group queried.

Recall that the controversial post, which remained live for over an hour before being pulled down, included an emotional apology, a detailed confession of involvement in meetings in London with Sandra Duru, and allegations of phone cloning and manipulation of Senator Natasha’s voice recordings.

Okolugbo wrote that the plan, orchestrated alongside Akpabio and his associates, was a desperate attempt to discredit the Kogi Central Senator.

He further pleaded for forgiveness in the spirit of the Eid El-Kabir celebration and wished Nigerians a happy Sallah before deleting the post and claiming a hack.

But reacting on behalf of the Action Collective, Mr. Onyejuwe suggested that Okolugbo may have been pressured by higher political powers to retract his confession and hide behind a hacking claim.

“This reeks of political intimidation. Your confession was detailed, personal, and reflective. It bore the weight of someone seeking redemption, not a random attacker.

“If you were bold enough to admit your role, be man enough to stand by your words and move on with integrity,” he stated.

The group further noted the danger of using cybersecurity claims to avoid accountability, warning that such tactics erode public trust and trivialise genuine issues of digital security.

While reaffirming their solidarity with Senator Natasha Akpoti-Uduaghan, members of the Action Collective called on relevant authorities to investigate the matter thoroughly.

“If the post was genuine, and we believe it was, you owe it to Nigerians and Senator Natasha to be truthful. If it was not, then prove it. Anything less is unacceptable.

“Mr. Okolugbo must either present irrefutable evidence to support his claim or be prepared to answer to the public. The truth must not be buried under political pressure or digital excuses,” the statement added.