Senator Natasha Akpoti-Uduaghan has instituted a court action against Senate President Godswill Akpabio for alleged defamation.
The lawsuit, filed at the Federal Capital Territory High Court on February 25, 2025, lists Akpabio, and Mfon Patrick, Senior Legislative Aide to the Senate President, as defendants.
The Daily Crucible reports that the lawsuit followed the clash between Akpoti-Uduaghan and Akpabio recently over seat relocation ahead of plenary without her consent.
The Daily Crucible further reports that Natasha, representing Kogi Central in the 10th Senate citing order 10 of the Senate rules stood her ground and resisted the relocation, leading to a row with the Senate President and degenerating to a level where the Senate President gave an order that she should be evicted from the chamber by the Sergeant – at – Arms.
In the ensuing drama, Akpoti-Uduaghan accused Akpabio of making defamatory statements about her, which were shared by his aide on Facebook.
The alleged disputed post, titled “Is the Local Content Committee of the Senate Natasha’s Birthright?” included a statement suggesting that Akpoti-Uduaghan believed being a lawmaker was only about “pancaking her face and wearing transparent outfits to the chambers.”
Her lawyer, Victor Giwa, argued that the statement was defamatory, provocative, and disparaging, damaging Akpoti-Uduaghan’s dignity in the eyes of her colleagues and the public.
Natasha is seeking a declaration that the statements made by Akpabio and his aide are defamatory and intended to cause public opprobrium.
The Kogi lawmaker is also asking the court to restrain the defendants and their associates from making further defamatory statements against her on any platform.
Furthermore, Natasha is seeking N100 billion in general damages and N300 million as litigation costs.
Her lawsuit highlights the ongoing tensions between her and the Senate President, which began with the seating arrangement dispute and have now escalated into a full-blown defamation case.
According to him, the post, titled “Is the Local Content Committee of the Senate Natasha’s Birthright?” included a statement suggesting that Akpoti-Uduaghan believed being a lawmaker was only about “pancaking her face and wearing transparent outfits to the chambers.”
He stated, “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,’ used and written by the third defendant at the prompting of the first and second defendants, is defamatory and intended to cause public opprobrium and disaffection toward the claimant.”
She also urged the court to restrain the defendants and their associates from making further defamatory statements against her on any platform.
“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,” she stated. 
Furthermore, Akpoti-Uduaghan asked the court to order the defendants to pay her N100 billion in general damages and N300 million as litigation costs.
“An order for the payment of the sum of N100,000,000,000 as general damages. An order for the payment of the sum of N300,000,000 as the cost of action,” she prayed.
