By Abigail Philip David
Senator Natasha Akpoti-Uduaghan has filed a N1.3 billion defamation lawsuit against Senate President Godswill Akpabio.
The legal action follows a controversy over Akpoti-Uduaghan’s Senate seat, which was reassigned after a reshuffle triggered by opposition members defecting to the majority. She opposed the move, leading to a confrontation with Akpabio.
In the lawsuit, filed on February 25, 2025, at the Federal Capital Territory High Court, Akpabio, the Senate of the Federal Republic of Nigeria, and the Senate President’s Senior Legislative Aide, Mfon Patrick, were named as defendants. The case, registered as CV/737/25, alleges that defamatory statements were made by Akpabio and later published by Patrick on Facebook.
The post, titled “Is the Local Content Committee of the Senate Natasha’s Birthright?” allegedly included a claim that Akpoti-Uduaghan viewed her role as a lawmaker as merely about “pancaking her face and wearing transparent outfits to the chambers.”
Her lawyer, Victor Giwa, argued that the statement was defamatory, damaging her reputation among her colleagues and the public. He is seeking a court declaration that the remarks were meant to incite public disapproval against her.
Additionally, Akpoti-Uduaghan is requesting a perpetual injunction to prevent further defamatory statements from being made about her on any platform.
She is also demanding N1 billion in general damages and N300 million to cover litigation costs.
