Senator Natasha Akpoti-Uduaghan has filed a lawsuit against Godswill Akpabio, the Senate President, accusing him of defamation.
The Kogi lawmaker had a heated exchange with Akpabio last Thursday over the reassignment of her seat upon the Senate’s resumption.
She opposed the decision, leading to a confrontation with the Senate President.
In a suit filed before the Federal Capital Territory High Court on February 25, 2025, Akpoti-Uduaghan listed the President of the Senate, the Federal Republic of Nigeria, and Akpabio’s Senior Legislative Aide, Mfon Patrick, as the second and third defendants, respectively.
The suit, marked CV/737/25, was filed by her lawyer, Victor Giwa.
Akpoti-Uduaghan alleged that a statement made by Akpabio and published by his aide on Facebook was defamatory.
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.”
Giwa argued that the statement was defamatory, provocative, and demeaning, asserting that it lowered Akpoti-Uduaghan’s reputation among her colleagues and the public.
Read also: Natasha Akpoti-Uduaghan to face Senate panel over misconduct
The suit seeks several reliefs, including a declaration that the statement was intended to bring public ridicule and disaffection toward the senator.
“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,’ written by the third defendant at the prompting of the first and second defendants, are defamatory and meant to incite public disdain against the claimant,” part of the reliefs read.
Akpoti-Uduaghan also urged the court to restrain the defendants and their associates from making or publishing further defamatory statements against her.
“An order of perpetual injunction restraining the defendants, whether acting by themselves or through their agents, privies, assigns, or associates, from publishing or causing to be published any defamatory statements about the claimant on social media or any other platform,” she demanded.
She further asked the court to compel the defendants to pay N100 billion in general damages and N300 million in litigation costs.
“An order for the payment of N100,000,000,000 as general damages and N300,000,000 as the cost of action,” the suit stated.
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