As Senator Natasha faces ethics panel, she sues Akpabio for alleged defamation

As Senator Natasha faces ethics panel, she sues Akpabio for alleged defamation

 

Senator representing Kogi Central in the Senate, Natasha Akpoti-Uduaghan, has taken the President of Nigeria’s Senate, Senator Godswill Akpabio, to court for allegedly defaming her.

This came as Akpabio announced that Natasha would face senate disciplinary panel over her seat reallocation outburst in the red chamber.

The lawmaker had voiced her concern after her seat was reassigned due to a reshuffle triggered by opposition members switching to the majority wing.

She had resisted the relocation and this led to a clash between her and the senate president.

However, in the suit filed before the Federal Capital Territory High Court on February 25, 2025, the President of the Senate, Federal Republic of Nigeria and Senior Legislative Aide to the Senate President, Mfon Patrick, were listed as second to third defendants.

In the suit marked: CV/737/25 Natasha through her lawyer, Victor Giwa claimed that the words by the Senate President and published by his aide on his Facebook page with the title, “Is local content committee of the senate NATASHA’s BIRTHRIGHT”, where he stated that claimant though being a lawmaker is all about pancaking her face and wearing transparent outfits to the chambers.

Giwa said the statement on Natasha was defamatory, provocative, disparaging, and lowered her dignity in the eyes of her colleagues and right-thinking members of the public.

She, however, urged the court to order the defendants to pay her N100bn as damages and N300m as litigation costs.

“An order for payment of the sum of N100, 000,000,000 as general damages.An order for payment of the sum of N300, 000,000.00 only as Cost of action,” she said.

Meanwhile, the Senate President said on Tuesday, “There’s a motion before us that we should refer the entirety of the saga to our Ethics, Code of Conduct and Public Petitions, and then to revert back to us.”