The senator representing Kogi Central, Mrs Natasha Akpoti-Uduaghan, has sued the president of the senate, Mr Godswill Akpabio, for alleged defamation.
She raised concerns after her seat was reassigned during a reshuffle prompted by opposition members’ defecting to the majority party.
Consequently, there was a mild drama on the floor of the senate in which Akpoti-Uduaghan lamenting that the new sitting arrangement in the chambers was unfavourable to her.
Her resistance led to a confrontation with the Senate President.
In a suit filed at the Federal Capital Territory High Court by Akpoti-Uduaghan’s counsel, Mr Victor Giwa on February 25, 2025 and marked CV/737/25, the senator also alleged that defamatory statements, published on Facebook by Akpabio’s legislative aide, Mr Mfon Patrick, tarnished her reputation.
The suit listed the Federal Republic of Nigeria and Patrick as the second and third defendants.
The post, entitled “Is the Local Content Committee of the Senate Natasha’s Birthright?” included a remark suggesting that Akpoti-Uduaghan believed her role as a lawmaker was merely about “pancaking her face and wearing transparent outfits to the chambers.”
Giwa contended that the statements were defamatory, provocative, and damaging to his client’s public image and professional standing.
The lawyer sought a declaration that “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.
He then urged the court to restrain the defendants from making further defamatory statements about his client.
“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,” he stated.
Giwa prayed the court to order for the payment of N100, 000,000,000 as general damages to his client as well as an order for the payment of N300, 000, 000 as the cost of action.
