By Lamide Lasisi
A journalist and public affairs commentator, Obinna Akuwudike, has dismissed as false the claims made by Sandra Duru, popularly known as ‘Prof Mgbeke’, alleging that former Minister of Education, Dr Oby Ezekwesili, was paid to appear before a Senate Committee investigating sexual harassment allegations against Senate President Godswill Akpabio.
Speaking on a social media platform programme, Akuwudike categorically denied Duru’s claims, describing them as a deliberate smear campaign targeted at high-profile Nigerians.
He said Duru had falsely claimed during a live stream that Senator Natasha Akpoti-Uduaghan told her in a private phone conversation that there was no sexual harassment and that the accusations against Akpabio were fabricated.
He further alleged that Natasha paid Ezekwesili and the International Federation of Women Lawyers (FIDA) to speak in her defence—a claim Obinna said was not only baseless but completely unsupported by the audio Sandra circulated, which he confirmed contained no such confession.
However, Akuwudike claimed that Duru initially engaged him for a media production assignment, and he received N2.5m to produce a series of videos intended to malign Senator Natasha.
He considered it a routine professional job until he noticed inconsistencies and outright fabrications in Duru’s public statements. After hearing her make the controversial allegations during a live stream, he withdrew and went public with the truth.
“It became clear to me that the assignment was part of a calculated blackmail agenda,” he stated.
