Senator Natasha Akpoti-Uduaghan Sues Senate President Akpabio for ₦100.3 Billion Over Defamation
Senator Natasha Akpoti-Uduaghan Sues Senate President Akpabio for ₦100.3 Billion Over Defamation
Senator Natasha Akpoti-Uduaghan Files ₦100.3 Billion Defamation Suit Against Senate President Akpabio
A federal lawmaker, Senator Natasha Akpoti-Uduaghan, has instituted a ₦100.3 billion defamation lawsuit against Senate President Godswill Akpabio at the Federal Capital Territory (FCT) High Court in Abuja.
Akpoti-Uduaghan, who represents Kogi Central Senatorial District, alleges that Akpabio defamed her through a Facebook post. According to her, the post falsely claimed that she believed being a lawmaker was all about “pancaking her face and wearing transparent outfits to the Senate Chambers.”
In addition to Akpabio, the lawsuit, marked CV/737/25, also cites Mfon Patrick, a Senior Legislative Aide to the Senate President, as a co-defendant.
The Kogi senator argues that the post was not only defamatory but also provocative and damaging to her reputation, lowering her dignity in the eyes of her colleagues and the public.
Through her legal team, led by Victor Giwa, she is seeking several reliefs, including:
- A retraction and public apology – She demands that the defendants immediately withdraw the alleged defamatory statement and issue a written apology, which must be published in a widely circulated national newspaper.
- A declaration of defamation – She seeks a court ruling that the words used in the Facebook post were defamatory, intended to incite public disapproval and diminish her reputation.
- A perpetual injunction – She wants the court to restrain the defendants, their agents, or associates from further publishing defamatory statements against her.
- Monetary damages – She is demanding ₦100 billion as general damages and an additional ₦300 million to cover the cost of litigation.
No date has been set for the hearing of the case.
This legal action follows a recent clash between Akpoti-Uduaghan and the Senate President over an alleged unauthorized change to her seating position in the Senate. Her protest against the move—reportedly caused by the defection of opposition lawmakers to the ruling party—led to a heated exchange, culminating in Akpabio ordering his Aide-de-Camp to escort her out of the chamber. The incident sparked mixed reactions from Nigerians.
