…Seeks damages, retraction over alleged “malicious claims”
Senate President Godswill Akpabio has filed a fresh N200 billion defamation lawsuit against Senator Natasha Akpoti-Uduaghan, intensifying the political and legal hostilities between the two lawmakers.
The development emerged on Friday after Akpoti-Uduaghan disclosed, via her Facebook page, that she had received court documents relating to the suit, which was lodged before Justice U. P. Kekemeke of the Federal Capital Territory High Court under suit number FCT/HC/CV/3356/2025.
In a statement signed by her media team and shared alongside the filings, Akpoti-Uduaghan confirmed that the suit centres on allegations by Akpabio that her public statements were defamatory and damaging to his character.
The statement reads partly: “The Senate President is alleging that Senator Natasha Akpoti-Uduaghan made false, malicious, and injurious claims that portrayed him as a sexual predator and exposed him to public hatred, contempt, and ridicule.
“He is seeking ₦200 billion in damages, a public retraction of the allegations, and broadcast apologies across major national media platforms.
“The suit follows an earlier order for substituted service issued on 6 November, after bailiffs reported difficulty in serving Senator Akpoti-Uduaghan personally.
“The documents were served through the Office of the Clerk of the National Assembly as directed by the court.”
Following the receipt of the suit, Senator Akpoti-Uduaghan declared readiness for a full judicial showdown, saying the case presents an opportunity to finally table her claims before an impartial forum.
She insisted that the Senate Committee on Ethics and Privileges had previously declined to hear her complaints, despite what she described as persistent harassment and retaliation for refusing alleged “improper demands”.
“Now I have a chance to prove everything. See you in court, Godswill Akpabio,” she wrote.
The legal battle has triggered renewed public interest in the tense relations within the 10th Senate, where Akpoti-Uduaghan has repeatedly accused the leadership of intimidation and attempts to silence dissent.
Her six-month suspension in March 2025 over protests regarding the relocation of her seat remains one of the most controversial disciplinary actions of the current Senate.
Although the suspension lapsed in September, her office remained sealed for weeks until the Sergeant-at-Arms reopened it, drawing further criticism of the chamber’s leadership.
Despite the tensions, the Kogi Central senator resumed duties and maintained publicly that she has “no apology to tender,” insisting that she would continue speaking against what she views as institutional excesses.
