Victor Ezeja
Kogi lawmaker, Senator Natasha Akpoti-Uduaghan, has filed a suit against Senate President, Godswill Akpabio, accusing him of defamation.
This followed her altercation with the senate president at the floor of the Senate on Thursday last week over reassignment of her seat.
Join our WhatsApp ChannelShe had insisted on maintaining her previous location, claiming that there was no prior notice.
In a suit marked CV/737/25 filed before the Federal Capital Territory High Court on 25 February 2025, by her lawyer, Victor Giwa, Akpoti-Uduaghan claimed that Akpabio made a defamatory satement against her and was published by his aide on Facebook.
The President of the Senate, the Federal Republic of Nigeria, and Akpabio’s Senior Legislative Aide, Mfon Patrick, were listed as the second and third defendants, respectively.
The post, titled “Is the Local Content Committee of the Senate Natasha’s Birthright?”, included a comment suggesting that she believed being a lawmaker was about “pancaking her face and wearing transparent outfits to the Chambers.”
Akpoti-Uduaghan’s lawyer contended that the statement was defamatory, provocative, and demeaning, asserting that it lowered the lawmaker’s reputation among her colleagues and the public.
Among the reliefs the lawmaker seeks in the suit is for the court to order the defendants to pay N100 billion in general damages and N300 million in litigation costs.
She is also seeking an order of court to declare that the words, ‘It is bottled anger by the Kogi lawmaker, who knows nothing about legislative rules. She thinks being a lawmaker is all about pancaking her face and wearing transparent outfits to the Chambers,’ written by the third defendant at the prompting of the first and second defendants, are defamatory and intended to cause public opprobrium and disaffection toward the claimant.”
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Additionally, Akpoti-Uduaghan asked the court to prohibit the defendants and their associates from publishing or making any more defamatory remarks against her.
Earlier, the Senate had referred Senator Natasha Akpoti-Uduaghan to its Committee on Ethics, Privileges, and Public Petitions over the controversy regarding reallocation of seat
The committee, chaired by Senator Neda Imaseun, was given two weeks to investigate Natasha’s conduct and report back on its findings.
While responding to a phone call by Ahmad Isah, CEO of Brekete Family Radio on Saturday, the embattled lawmaker claimed that she was being being victimized in the Senate. She alleged that the leadership of the Senate is plotting to slam her with suspension.
Victor Ezeja is a passionate journalist with seven years of experience writing on economy, politics and energy. He holds a Master's degree in Mass Communication.
