Telling One Emma Uduaghan From The Other Emma Uduaghan: Which Of Them Is In The Eye Of The Storm As Natasha Akpoti’s Husband?
The Oasis Reporters
March 3, 2025
As bloggers, we receive quite an avalanche of press releases every day. Choosing which one to run is first a problem considering our house style, substance and the rules of the game from the dictates of Google AdSense partner ground rules and that of our perception and conscience.
That is one side of our light issues. The other is that our phones continually ring, esteemed readers calling to find something out or the other.
In the light of that, we’ve often been asked who actually is the husband of Kogi born Senator and wife of Emmanuel Uduaghan who has been embroiled in the allegations flying all over about whether the Senate President and former governor of Akwa Ibom state made an improper talk to Senator Natasha Akpoti or not.
People also want to know whether similar allegations had flown towards the Senate President in the places that he has worked in before like the government House as governor of Akwa Ibom state, the former Niger Delta ministry overseeing the Niger Delta Development Corporation (NDDC) or not.
But our focus here is on unmasking who Natasha Akpoti’s husband is, whose office had sent us a statement.
STATEMENT BY THE ALEMA OF WARRI, HIGH CHIEF EMMANUEL ORITSEJOLOMI UDUAGHAN
I had initially resolved to refrain from commenting on the ongoing dispute between my beloved wife, Senator Natasha-Akpoti Uduaghan, and the Senate President, Senator Godswill Akpabio.
However, recent developments have compelled me to issue the statement.
It is clear that certain sentiments are being stirred up unnecessarily, distracting from the serious underlying allegations, which should concern every discerning individual with sound family values.
Without prejudice to the ongoing legal proceedings, I wish to emphasize that my wife was duly elected by her people due to the immense love, respect and confidence they have in her and she is committed to delivering quality representation to her district and the Nation at large. She is a devoted wife and the bond we share is deep and unwavering. She has always remained truthful, even in the face of adversity.
My wife has confided in me about her interactions with the Senate President, whom I considered a family friend. In response, I approached the matter with the utmost maturity and responsibility, as it is my duty as a traditional leader who has immense respect for constituted authority and upholds core family values, fostering peace and harmony.
I personally met with the Senate President and respectfully urged him to extend the courtesy and respect my wife deserves, while also honouring the friendship between us. We reached an understanding and agreed to resolve the issue amicably.
However, despite this agreement, my wife continues to express concerns about the harassment she has endured from the Senate President.
I have unwavering faith in my wife’s loyalty and I am fully committed to our marriage, which is grounded in love, compassion and mutual respect. I would never trade her for anything as she is the greatest joy of my life.
I now respectfully urge the Senate of the Federal Republic of Nigeria and the Senate President to treat my beloved wife with the respect and dignity she truly deserves while the relevant authorities and the court determine the underlying issues.
HIGH CHIEF EMMANUEL ORITSEJOLOMI UDUAGHAN
ALEMA OF WARRI
The second governor of Delta State in the fourth Republic which commenced on May 29, 1999 is Dr. Emmanuel Ewetan Uduaghan.
He started his working career as a University of Benin trained medical doctor at Delta Steel Company, Aladja near Warri but later resigned to join his paternal cousin, Chief James Ibori who was the governor of Delta State from 1999 to 2007
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Ibori is from the Urhobo ethnic group in Delta Central Senatorial district. But Uduaghan is Itsekiri from Delta South Senatorial district.
The time honoured tradition of power rotation and equity that is unique to Delta State and some other states in Southern Nigeria enabled Emmanuel Uduaghan to succeed James Ibori as governor in 2007 to 2015.
This tradition is not very robust in Kogi State or even Benue State where only one dominant ethnic group continually rules in those states stunting growth in the minority ethnic groups and making life very nasty.
Like Kogi, where Senator Natasha Akpoti hails from.
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Dr. Emmanuel Uduaghan as a quiet obedient boy of his parents who may not be averse to taking instructions from his parents.
The kind of boy who would marry the girl next door as dictated by father and mother.
His wife is Roli Uduaghan. Not flashy, not flamboyant and makes little noise while building the home.
That’s the lifestyle of country folks like that.
Uduaghan followed the tradition of building Delta State, taking it from an infrastructure deficit state to one anyone can be proud of to a certain extent. Not the best, but better than it was before.
After completing most of the infrastructural development projects of James Ibori, Uduaghan did his own. The last road he commissioned before leaving office was the road leading to his hometown in the backwaters of Itsekiri land.
He is not the husband of Natasha Akpoti.
But Dr. Emmanuel Ewetan Uduaghan has a first cousin, Emmanuel Oritsejolomi Uduaghan. Both of them are believed to be first born sons of their respective fathers who are brothers of the same parents. Ewetan’s father is believed to be older.
Oritsejolomi is the Alema of Warri, a Chief of his Itsekiri people. Social affairs watchers in Warri say that he is a flamboyant ‘about’ town kind of city boy. But down to earth and very humble. You would meet him on the streets of Warri and not know that his pockets are fully loaded as one of the coolest operators in the Nigerian economy.
There are debonair guys in Nigeria with loaded pockets. When they want to woo, they’d go for fair and lovely damsels. It is quite possible that men like Oritsejolomi may likely fall into such a category.
Emmanuel Oritsejolomi Uduaghan is the husband of Natasha Akpoti who we understand has a Russian mother and an Igbirra father.
The female senator had a very fierce struggle with her then state governor, another Igbirra son, Yahaya Bello. Because she prevailed over every adversary, she emerged as the first female Senator from Kogi state. With loaded pockets of her Delta State born husband, winning the contest the way cash from Elon Musk helped Donald Trump win the American Presidential election is a forgone conclusion.
Now we can tell with certainty who Natasha Akpoti Uduaghan’s husband is in Warri.
He is Chief Emmanuel Oritsejolomi Uduaghan, not Dr. Emmanuel Ewetan Uduaghan.
Greg Abolo
gregabolo@gmail.com
