Akpabio/Duru Audio: Group Tells Duru, Others to Leave Akpoti-Uduaghan Out of Dispute

Action Collective has urged Sandra Duru and other individuals involved in the latest controversy surrounding Senate President Godswill Akpabio to stop dragging Senator Natasha Akpoti-Uduaghan into their dispute, saying the senator had already publicly dissociated herself from audio recordings previously attributed to her.

The group made the call in a statement signed by its National Coordinator, Teddy Onyejuwe, stressing that Akpoti-Uduaghan’s disclaimer had been widely reported by Nigerian media and should not be ignored in the renewed controversy.

Action Collective recalled that in June 2025, Akpoti-Uduaghan publicly denied responsibility for a viral audio and video purportedly containing statements attributed to her concerning Akpabio and President Bola Tinubu.

The senator said she had neither granted the alleged interview nor engaged in the purported conversation, insisting that the voice in the recording was not hers and had been cloned and manipulated.

THISDAY, in its June 5, 2025 edition, reported the senator’s denial under the headline “Akpoti-Uduaghan Disowns Cloned Audio, False Video in Circulation.” The report quoted her as saying she categorically dissociated herself from the recording and described it as misinformation aimed at damaging her reputation.

Reference: "THISDAY — June 5, 2025 report" (https://reference-url-citation.invalid/2)

The same position was reported by other Nigerian media organisations, including Arise News on June 5, 2025, TheCable on June 5, 2025, and Daily Post on June 4, 2025, all of which reported Akpoti-Uduaghan’s denial of the purported recording and her allegation that her voice had been cloned or manipulated.

Action Collective also drew attention to the earlier controversy involving Sandra Duru in May 2025.

On May 3, reports published following Duru’s May 1 livestream detailed allegations she made against Akpoti-Uduaghan, including claims concerning the senator’s dispute with Akpabio. Akpoti-Uduaghan subsequently rejected the allegations and said the recordings played during Duru’s livestream had been manipulated.

Reference: "Channels Television — May 3, 2025 report on Duru's allegations" (https://reference-url-citation.invalid/3)

A report published by PUNCH on May 3, 2025 similarly documented the dispute, reporting that Akpoti-Uduaghan’s media aide said the recordings played by Duru had been manipulated.

Reference: "PUNCH — May 3, 2025 report" (https://reference-url-citation.invalid/6)

Action Collective further cited a June 4, 2025 petition by Akpoti-Uduaghan’s lawyers, M.J. Numa & Partners LLP, to the National Cybercrime Centre of the Nigeria Police Force.

The lawyers alleged that the senator’s official telephone number had been cloned and was being used by unknown persons to make calls and send audio messages purportedly originating from her. They called for a full investigation and forensic examination of suspicious activity linked to the number.

A contemporaneous report by Vanguard detailed the lawyers’ allegations, including claims that individuals had received suspicious calls apparently originating from Akpoti-Uduaghan’s known number.

Reference: "Vanguard — June 5, 2025 report" (https://reference-url-citation.invalid/8)

Onyejuwe said the latest controversy should therefore be handled by the individuals directly involved without making Akpoti-Uduaghan a party to allegations from which she had already publicly distanced herself.

He said Action Collective was particularly concerned about what it described as repeated attempts to associate the senator with disputed recordings despite her public disclaimer.