By Abdullahi Mukhtar Algasgaini
Senator Natasha Akpoti-Uduaghan has filed a defamation lawsuit against the President of the Nigerian Senate, Godswill Akpabio, demanding N1.3 billion in damages.
The lawsuit, lodged at the Federal Capital Territory High Court on February 25, 2025, also includes Akpabio’s Senior Legislative Aide, Mfon Patrick, as a defendant.
Akpoti-Uduaghan, represented by her lawyer, Victor Giwa, claims that defamatory remarks made by Akpabio and posted by his aide on Facebook damaged her reputation.
The post, titled “Is the Local Content Committee of the Senate Natasha’s Birthright?” included a statement suggesting Akpoti-Uduaghan believed being a lawmaker was only about “pancaking her face and wearing transparent outfits to the chambers.”
Akpoti-Uduaghan describes the words as degrading, inflammatory, and harmful to her dignity, both in the eyes of her colleagues and the public.
The lawsuit seeks a declaration that the statement is defamatory, a permanent injunction barring further publication of such comments, N100 billion in general damages, and N300 million for legal costs.