The wife of the President of the Senate, Mrs. Unoma Godswill Akpabio has filed separate lawsuits at the High Court of the Federal Capital Territory, Abuja, against fiery Senator Natasha Akpoti-Uduaghan for alleged defamation and violation of fundamental human rights.
The legal action follows recent claims by Akpoti-Uduaghan, who represents Kogi Central, that her troubles in the Senate started following her refusal to have a sexual relationship with the Senate President.
In the first suit on fundamental rights violation (Suit No: CV/814/25), Mrs. Akpabio accused the senator of making false and scandalous statements that caused emotional trauma for her and her children, leaving them in fear for their lives.
She asked the court to declare the statements a violation of her right to dignity under the Constitution and the African Charter on Human and Peoples’ Rights.
Akpabio is also seeking ₦250 billion in compensation and a perpetual injunction to stop Akpoti-Uduaghan from making further damaging claims.
In a separate defamation Suit No: CV/816/25, Mrs. Akpabio challenged the senator’s claim that her husband made sexual advances towards her.
She described the allegations as false, malicious, and damaging, saying they had brought her family into disrepute and public shame.
As part of her demands, she asked the court to order Akpoti-Uduaghan to issue a public apology in two national newspapers, The Guardian and ThisDay, and pay ₦1 billion in damages.
“The allegations have caused untold pain and emotional trauma to me and my family,” Mrs. Akpabio said in the suit.
In the fundamental rights suit (Suit No: CV/814/25), dated February 28, 2025, brought under Section 34(1)(a) of the 1999 Constitution (as amended) and Articles 4 & 5 of The African Charter on Human and Peoples Rights (Ratification and Enforcement Act) Cap. A9, Laws of the Federation of Nigeria, 2004, Mrs. Akpabio seeks the following reliefs:
● A declaration that the allegations made by the Respondent on the floor of the Senate on the 20th of February 2025 and subsequent scandalous and salacious allegations on Arise News TV by the Respondent, constitute a flagrant violation of the fundamental rights of the Applicant guaranteed under Section 34(1) (A) of The Constitution of the Federal Republic of Nigeria, 1999 (As Amended), Article 4 & 5 of The African Charter on Human And Peoples Rights (Ratification And Enforcement Act) Cap. A9, Laws of the Federation of Nigeria, 2004, and Section 14 of the Violence Against Persons (Prohibition) Act, 2015.
● An order of perpetual injunction restraining the Respondent from making further inciteful, scandalous, and spiteful statements that have caused the Applicant and her children emotional and psychological abuse and living under constant threat and fear of their lives.
● An order of perpetual injunction restraining the Respondent, whether by themselves, their agents, privies, or whosoever from further inciteful, scandalous, and spiteful statements that have caused the Applicant and her children emotional and psychological abuse and living under constant threat and fear of their lives or in any other manner infringing on their fundamental rights.
● An order awarding the sum of N250,000,000,000.00 (Two Hundred and Fifty Billion Naira only) as exemplary, punitive, aggravated and general damages against the Respondent for her infringement of the fundamental rights of the Applicant alongside such further or other Orders as this Honourable Court may deem fit to make in the circumstance.
Additionally, in a separate defamation lawsuit (Suit No: CV/816/25), Mrs. Akpabio seeks:
● A declaration that the Defendant’s act of claiming on national television, that the Claimant’s husband, who is the President of the Senate of the Federal Republic of Nigeria made sexual advances at her, without any proof of the same, has damaged the reputation of the Claimant and indeed her entire family, bringing them into disrepute and opprobrium.
● An order of this Honourable Court mandating the Defendant to issue a formal written retraction of the defamatory words and tender an unconditional apology to the Claimant and her family, to be published in 2 (two) nationally-read newspapers to wit: The Guardian and ThisDay Newspapers.
● An order of this Honourable Court compelling the Defendant to pay to the Claimant the sum of ₦1,000,000,000.00 (One Billion Naira only) as punitive and exemplary damages for the ruinous effect of the Defendant’s defamatory words on the Claimant’s family’s reputation.
● An order of perpetual injunction restraining the Defendant from further uttering any defamatory words or causing to be uttered or spread, any defamatory words against the reputation of the Claimant’s family.
● Any further or ancillary order or other Orders as this Honourable Court may deem fit to make in the circumstance.
CITY LAWYER recalls that the disagreement between both lawmakers began after Akpoti-Uduaghan discovered that her seating position in the Senate chamber had been changed without her knowledge.
She protested the action, causing a brief disruption during a plenary session. The Senate later referred her case to the Committee on Ethics, Privileges, and Public Petitions, led by Senator Neda Imaseun from Edo South, for investigation. The committee was given two weeks to submit its report.
In response, Akpoti-Uduaghan filed a ₦100 billion lawsuit against Akpabio and his senior legislative aide, Mfon Patrick, for defamation.
Her lawyer, Victor Giwa, said the alleged defamatory statement was published on Patrick’s Facebook page with the title, ‘Is Local Content Committee of the Senate Natasha’s Birthright?’
The post accused Akpoti-Uduaghan of thinking that being a senator was all about wearing makeup and transparent outfits to the chamber.
Describing the statement as provocative and damaging, Giwa said it had lowered his client’s reputation among her colleagues and the public.
The controversy deepened yesterday when Akpoti-Uduaghan appeared on Arise Television’s Morning Show and accused Akpabio of sexually harassing her.
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