TD ABUJA, FCT — UK-based activist Sandra C. Duru, also known as Prof. Mgbeke, has released a purported audio recording which she claims captures a private conversation with Senate President Godswill Akpabio, alleging that he engaged her to mount a campaign against Senator Natasha Akpoti-Uduaghan.
The approximately nine-minute recording began circulating online on Friday, September 18, 2026.
It has introduced a new twist into the long-running political dispute involving Akpabio, Akpoti-Uduaghan and Duru.
Duru described the recording as a “sneak peek” of additional material she said she would release on Sunday.
However, the recording’s authenticity, completeness and the identities of all voices have not been independently established.
No independent forensic examination of the audio has been publicly produced.
What Duru claims the recording shows
In accompanying comments, Duru presents the male voice in the recording as that of Akpabio and alleges that the Senate President was discussing political strategies and individuals with her.
The conversation contains references to political figures, party manoeuvring, Senate politics and the controversy surrounding Akpoti-Uduaghan.
In one portion, the speaker appears to discuss the need for confidentiality and tells the other participant not to disclose their conversations to Senator Ned Nwoko.
Another section discusses political developments involving former Delta State Governor Ifeanyi Okowa. The speaker reportedly suggests that Okowa’s political movements were motivated by concerns over corruption cases.
That assertion is part of the conversation attributed to Akpabio and has not been independently verified.
The recording also contains discussion about how allegations against Akpoti-Uduaghan could influence public opinion and political debate, including references to the possibility of portraying her as guilty before the conclusion of proceedings.
Alleged strategy against Natasha
One of the most significant portions of the recording concerns the speaker’s discussion of Akpoti-Uduaghan.
The voice attributed to Akpabio appears to discuss a strategy under which allegations against the senator would gain greater public acceptance if she were eventually found guilty.
The speaker also discusses the possibility of using the controversy to promote a broader argument about protecting men from allegations and potentially changing the structure of government ministries dealing with gender issues.
Duru interprets the conversation as evidence that she was being used as part of a political and media campaign against Akpoti-Uduaghan.
That interpretation remains Duru’s allegation and has not been independently established.
Claims involving Ned Nwoko and political alliances
The recording also contains extensive discussion about political relationships involving Senator Ned Nwoko and other politicians.
The speaker describes Nwoko’s political relationships and references his association with former Senate President aspirants and other political actors.
The conversation also discusses the arrival of a new political party chairman and suggests that some political decisions were kept confidential to prevent other politicians from producing competing candidates.
The identities and context of some of the individuals and events mentioned in the recording cannot be independently established from the nine-minute clip alone.
Reference to alleged evidence against Natasha
Another section contains claims concerning a person identified as the father-in-law of an individual connected to the controversy.
The speaker alleges that the man had provided messages allegedly sent by Akpoti-Uduaghan, including purported threats, and that photographs allegedly involving Natasha were obtained.
The speaker further discusses taking the material before a notary public rather than immediately presenting it in court.
This Dawn News has not independently verified the existence, authenticity or contents of the alleged messages or photographs referenced in the recording.
Major reversal from Duru’s 2025 allegations
The latest release is particularly significant because it contrasts sharply with Duru’s public position in May 2025.
At the time, Duru accused Akpoti-Uduaghan of offering her ₦200 million to fabricate or promote allegations against Akpabio, including claims relating to organ harvesting.
Duru said during a Facebook Live broadcast that she possessed audio recordings and call records supporting her allegations.
Akpoti-Uduaghan strongly denied the allegations and accused Duru of acting on behalf of Akpabio.
In a statement reported by Channels Television, Akpoti-Uduaghan said the recordings presented by Duru were manipulated and alleged that Duru was executing a “script” associated with Akpabio.
The PUNCH also reported at the time that Akpoti-Uduaghan’s representatives disputed the authenticity of recordings presented by Duru.
The September 2026 recording therefore presents a substantially different narrative from the one Duru advanced publicly in 2025.
Previous allegations of manipulated recordings
The dispute has previously involved competing allegations over audio recordings and alleged media campaigns.
In May 2025, media personality Francess Olisa Ogbonnaya alleged that Duru had paid her ₦300,000 to produce an audio recording intended to implicate Akpoti-Uduaghan.
Duru’s alleged role in that episode was itself disputed.
The competing accusations have made the authenticity and provenance of recordings central to the wider dispute.
Consequently, the latest recording cannot independently establish that Akpabio actually made the statements attributed to him without verification of the original file, recording circumstances, voices and complete context.
No immediate response from Akpabio
As of the publication of this report, no detailed response from Senate President Godswill Akpabio or his office specifically confirming or denying the authenticity of the newly released recording was identified in the reports reviewed by This Dawn News.
A report published on September 19 said Duru’s release had generated renewed attention but noted that the recording remained unverified.
The absence of a response should not be interpreted as confirmation or denial.
Duru promises further disclosures
Duru has indicated that the nine-minute recording is only an initial extract and that additional material is expected on Sunday.
In her accompanying statement, she argued that the central issue should be the authenticity and context of recordings rather than political loyalty.
She said allegations involving public officials should be subjected to evidence-based investigation and due process.
What remains unverified
Several important questions remain unanswered:
- Whether the male voice in the recording is genuinely that of Akpabio.
- Whether the recording is complete or has been edited.
- When and where the conversation allegedly occurred.
- Whether Duru was actually engaged or paid by Akpabio to campaign against Akpoti-Uduaghan.
- Whether the statements attributed to the Senate President have been taken out of their original context.
- Whether the people and events discussed in the recording can be independently corroborated.
- Whether any of the alleged documents, messages or photographs referenced in the recording exist and are authentic.
Until those questions are independently addressed, the recording is appropriately treated as an alleged or purported recording and not conclusive proof of the claims surrounding it.
The development nevertheless adds another chapter to one of the most contentious political disputes involving Nigeria’s Senate.
The latest allegations come as political parties and politicians position themselves ahead of the 2027 elections.
Below is a full transcript of the purported telephone conversation:
“They lied against me. Anything between me and you, don’t tell Uncle Ned. You know why? Okay. When we’re campaigning for election to be Senate President, Uncle Ned was with his business friend, Senator Yare.
Okay. Please. Please. Because sometimes somebody could say something to you and then he gains your confidence. Okay. And then suddenly he says something that spoils the relationship between you and I without your knowledge. Okay. So understand the background. I didn’t want to tell you this before. Okay. Okay.
The reason why you’re sitting there around me now, confidentially, is that he has some payments. Okay. That they’re on party club. And local government thinks that he wants my assistants to get it done. Okay. And so it’s always with me. And I see the secret of the success. It’s very pushful.
When he wants something done, it doesn’t leave you alone. Yes. I can tell you that I was in shock when I saw him by 4 a.m. as I came out of British Airways. As I came out of British Airways, I saw him there. And then, secondly, Uncle Ned wants a… Yes.
And he has mobilized every person that you can imagine in that area. And thirdly, on goodness seat is under tread by Okowa. Yes. And those three things, the only person that can puncture the tree is me. Yes. By the grace of God now. Yes. And then God Almighty, because it’s what I would say that the president would take. Yes. Yes.
If I say I’m comfortable with NET, then NET stays. You are not hearing what I’m saying. I heard. I’m saying that anything that NET is saying to you, you can take it to the bank. I’m telling you now that what I say is right now. Okay. I just want to give you an idea. I said only the president can create ministries. Yeah. You said they can merge it. It can merge it and do everything. It is not true law. Okay. It is not true law making.
Do you understand what I mean? And that this, it will be sweeter when Natasha is pronounced guilty for two weeks. And then they will say, oh, so this thing was actually true. So a woman can manipulate the media, manipulate opinion, manipulate everything, even when she was telling black and lies against another man. Yes.
And it will come out naturally that we need to protect men. Yes. I also wrote it there. That’s what I’m saying. It will come out naturally that we need to protect men. At that stage, they say, oh, in that case, we have to also have a ministry of women affairs. And men affairs. Or gender affairs. Or gender. Or gender affairs. Then they will have to directorate it. Let’s abolish the ministry of women affairs and set up the ministry of gender affairs. Yes. So it will cater for both men and women. Yes.
Since both of them are possible victims. Yes. So these are the things that will come out of this Natasha case. Okay. You need to understand me. I’m like you. The only thing is that the strategy may differ, but we arrive at the same destination. Okay. We arrive at the same destination. I can swear with everything I own in this life that I value you more than you can ever imagine.
and that until you forget that without you imagine not being a former minister joining natasha against me with my innocence imagine my wife addressing the the uh press conference something she has never done in her life yes imagine her going to court getting female lawyers to sue natasha out of anger in a house that contained over 40 people
And Natasha is not a Christian. We are going into the chapter. You can see from the CCTV. You see her and the husband holding hands. Yes. When they looked in and saw a reverend father, they all walked away.
Both of them walked away. When Dan Kwambu was conducting Happy Bad Day to you, you look into the pictures and look into the video, you’ll see Natasha far away with the old man. Evidence has shown from even women and others that I never even shook hands with her. Yes. Because I never got near to her. I just welcomed all of them. And then when I welcomed the senators, who were about 23 at that time,
The old man went back to go and help her to put on a silver pad because whenever she was wearing, I had given up on her legs. Yeah. And she, when she came out of the car, she was shouting, where are you going to, when, when I’m having this kind of, uh, problem with my shoe. Hmm. So the old man went back and was helping her. So she, it means my greeting people. Hmm.
He missed the greetings. And when I shoot up to tell him from the dining, let us go to the chapel to go and offer prayers to God. They are not Catholic. I said, those who are Catholic, follow me. That’s why I’m worried when you can shout like that. He followed me. If anybody followed me around, it was him because he’s a Catholic. So I don’t want you to.
One of the things, don’t compare me with anybody. And don’t allow even Ned to know that you and I are talking. Do you understand what I’m saying? No, he doesn’t know we talk. Because one day, don’t forget we have a political divide. Ned, I’m just a very forgiving person. Ned was not one of those who supported me at all. And you can understand why. Because they do business together with Yari. Yes.
But in my normal way, I always say that God has given me the position I wanted so I cannot hold anything against anybody. So I draw everybody close. I took him to the president and then they had a robust discussion before even Okoha came. So Okoha is now coming. Okoha is coming late because he’s coming because of fear of his corruption cases. It’s not because of sincerity.
So if he wants to come and challenge that, and he wants to say no, you can’t have the ticket. The Gukuba doesn’t know anything about the new chairman of the party. Hope doesn’t know anything about the new chairman of the party. Are you getting what I’m saying? Yes, Daddy, I’m with you, yes, sir. So when the new chairman of the party was coming, yes, sir,
It was just between me and the president. Yes, sir. I must say that many people did not know because they probably would have tried it. Yes, sir. Or they would have tried to bring their own candidates. Yes, sir. So, you have to understand, I don’t know how to put it. Please, please, please, please. I know very well that I would never have said this night.
You didn’t talk to me. It was on Kope that I was crying. It’s all good. I said, I said, I told Kope, she does not understand me. Why did she want to? I said, I said, okay, let me send you a text. I was writing a wrong text. But because I’m not very familiar with this telephone, I wanted to correct something. I wanted to say, oh, I put off.
So I now try to edit it. In the process, I play something. They say cut. I thought it was going to cut off the arm. It cut off half of what I said to you. That’s why I did it. You don’t have to be mad. I was mad because Ken, they were lying. Can I tell you something? Yes, daddy. Okay. Since you and I are talking, do you know why I’m using Ken right now? Okay.
Ken, once morning, he has been able to deliver the father-in-law of Uruagani to my hands. You are the only other person that knows this. From London, we had a meeting with the man. I brought the man into the country. I brought the man into Akwa Iwongse. I brought the man to do to swear to oaths.
the man now downloaded all the terrible messages that Natasha used to send to him the threats to him and he went for her to go and bring pictures of Natasha with blood dripping through her legs on the matrimonial bed of Valero are you hearing what I’m saying? and he said that if they know
So we wanted to swear it in court. But we said no, that the content and the revelations are so that if a court class sees it, he may want to use it to make business before it is fired. So we took it before a lottery public. So he used the Bible…”
