Senator Natasha Akpoti-Uduaghan has filed a lawsuit against Senate President Godswill Akpabio, accusing him of defamation following a dispute over her Senate seat.
According to The PUNCH, the lawsuit, filed at the Federal Capital Territory High Court on February 25, 2025, also lists the Federal Republic of Nigeria and the Senate President’s Senior Legislative Aide, Mfon Patrick, as co-defendants.
The disagreement began after Akpoti-Uduaghan’s seat was reassigned due to a reshuffle triggered by opposition lawmakers switching to the majority caucus. Her resistance led to a confrontation with Akpabio, which escalated into a public exchange.
According to court documents, the senator alleges that a Facebook post by Patrick, reportedly made at the Senate President’s prompting, contained defamatory remarks that tarnished her reputation. The post, titled “Is the Local Content Committee of the Senate Natasha’s Birthright?”, included statements suggesting she was more focused on her appearance than on legislative duties.
Victor Giwa, Akpoti-Uduaghan’s legal representative, argued that the remarks were damaging to her dignity and credibility as a lawmaker.
“A declaration 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,’ are defamatory and intended to cause public opprobrium and disaffection toward the claimant,” Giwa stated in the court filing.
The senator is seeking a court order preventing the defendants and their associates from making further defamatory remarks against her.
“An order of perpetual injunction restraining the defendants, whether acting by themselves or through their agents, privies, assigns, or associates, from further publishing or causing to be published the said defamatory words or any similar publications about the claimant on social media or in any other manner capable of defaming her,” the suit reads.
Akpoti-Uduaghan is also demanding N100 billion in general damages and an additional N300 million for litigation costs.
