Senate President Godswill Obot Akpabio has filed an enormous ₦200 billion defamation lawsuit against Senator Natasha Akpoti-Uduaghan—an escalation that sets up one of the most high-stakes courtroom battles in recent times.
Documents before the High Court of the Federal Capital Territory (FCT) indicate that Akpabio claims Senator Akpoti’s televised and online interviews were part of a deliberate effort to malign him with accusations of sexual harassment. His lawyers contend that the allegations—aired on prominent media outlets and circulated widely across social platforms—subjected the Senate President to “national humiliation, ridicule, and grave reputational injury.”
Akpabio is urging the court to grant extensive reliefs: massive monetary compensation, the removal of all online materials spreading the allegations, and mandatory apologies to be repeatedly broadcast on national television, radio, and digital channels.
Court filings show that after early attempts to serve Senator Akpoti personally were unsuccessful, a judge approved substituted service through the Clerk of the National Assembly on 6 November 2025—allowing the matter to advance.
Responding, Senator Akpoti-Uduaghan confirmed on Friday that she had received the suit, stressing that she is prepared for the legal confrontation—recalling that she was earlier blocked from presenting her petition to the Senate Committee on Ethics and Privileges because Senate leadership claimed the issue was already before a court. That action, she argued, effectively protected Akpabio from internal scrutiny.
With the judiciary now handling the matter, the senator said she finally has the forum she was previously denied.
“I’m ready to prove everything,” she declared in a direct statement. She maintained she will demonstrate she was sexually harassed—and that her refusal to comply led to “sustained political intimidation and retaliation.” Her message to the Senate President remained straightforward: “See you in court, Godswill Akpabio.”
The high-profile case now moves fully into litigation, with both camps assembling witness lists, documents, and media archives. Besides the personal clash, the suit is poised to test how Nigeria’s political framework addresses sexual misconduct claims against top officeholders.
Attention now turns to the FCT High Court as the legal showdown begins to take shape.
