*Says no proof Natasha plotted against Tinubu’s govt
Media personality, Francess Olisa Ogbonnaya has revealed a coordinated attempt to smear the reputation of Senator Natasha Akpoti-Uduaghan, accusing Prof. Sandra Duru, also known as Prof. Mgbeke of orchestrating a blackmail campaign with manipulated audio recordings and falsified claims of sexual harassment.
Ogbonnaya made the revelation during an exclusive interview with journalist, Adeola Fayehun, stating that she was approached by Prof. Sandra Duru to produce an altered voiceover aimed at implicating Senator Natasha in a scandal.
Olisa-Ogbonnaya claimed that Duru approached her during the Easter period, asking her to publicly discredit Akpoti-Uduaghan through television and social media.
She said the request included the use of doctored audio and video materials to suggest the Senator made inflammatory remarks and fabricated allegations, adding that there is nowhere in the clips he received from Sandra where Natasha said she wanted to bring down the Yoruba government.
“How do you think Sen. Natasha will bring down the Yoruba government? A Kogi person is a minority Nigerian. They don’t have alliances like that. Sometimes they are more tilted to the Yorubas. Sometimes, the Igalas are even taken to be Igbos.
According to her, Duru paid her N300,000 for the audio production, but later demanded a refund after she removed false claims from the final edit.
“She sent me a script and asked me to use my voice to narrate it, but I refused to include parts that could not be defended. I couldn’t put myself or my registered company at risk by promoting lies,” Ogbonnaya said.
The controversy stems from a recent viral video in which a self-acclaimed professor claimed that Senator Natasha privately confessed to fabricating her sexual harassment allegation against Senate President Akpabio.
The video has drawn widespread criticism and skepticism, prompting Ogbonnaya to come forward with what she described as “exclusive” information behind the scenes.
“She (Sandra Duru) contacted me on Easter Monday. She said she wanted me to help her produce an audio that could ‘expose’ Senator Natasha. When I edited out lies, she got upset and said I was sabotaging her plans,” Ogbonnaya told Fayehun.
Ogbonnaya further alleged that Duru had long claimed expertise in voice cloning and once sent her tutorials on how to manipulate voices — a claim backed by dated screenshots she provided during the interview.
“She once sent me a video on how to clone voices back in 2020,” Ogbonnaya said. “So when she came back this year with this plan, it wasn’t new to me.”
Screenshots of WhatsApp messages, payment receipts, and an alleged script titled *“Light Mask: The Politics of Blackmail and Emotional Manipulation”* were displayed during the interview as part of Ogbonnaya’s evidence.
When asked if Duru acted alone or with political backing, Ogbonnaya claimed Duru told her she had been promised the deputy governorship of Imo State in exchange for her role in the campaign.
“She told me plainly that she was promised a political position if she could pull this off. She said she was once offered deputy governor of Imo State. So maybe she thinks this will bring her back to relevance,” Ogbonnaya said.
Fayehun, who hosted the interview, urged Nigerians to remain open-minded and commended Ogbonnaya for what she called a “risky” decision to speak publicly.
“This is dangerous for her,” Fayehun said. “We should be grateful she came out at all. It shows how desperate this entire situation has become.”
Calling Duru a “pathological liar and serial blackmailer,” Olisa-Ogbonnaya stated she is willing to submit both WhatsApp chats and audio conversations to security agencies to support her claims, but only if Duru is present to answer questions as well.
She clarified that she has no evidence linking Duru’s actions to the Senate President or any coordinated political effort. “I don’t have the evidence to say Sandra is working with Akpabio,” she said.
Olisa-Ogbonnaya, who previously contested a seat in the Imo State House of Assembly, said her decision to speak out was to protect the reputations of Akpoti-Uduaghan and Akpabio and the integrity of public discourse.
Her remarks come amid growing political tension ahead of the 2027 elections and increased scrutiny of public officials and political narratives circulating on social media.