Senate President Godswill Akpabio has initiated a N200 billion defamation lawsuit against Senator Natasha Akpoti-Uduaghan of Kogi Central.
Akpoti-Uduaghan disclosed the development in a Facebook post on Friday, attaching the court notice (FCT/HC/CV/3356/2025) before Justice U. P. Kekemeke.
She said the suit now provides her the opportunity to formally present her account before the Senate Committee on Ethics and Privileges, which previously declined to hear her complaint.
In the suit filed at the High Court of the Federal Capital Territory, Akpabio accused the senator of making “false, malicious, and injurious” statements that depicted him as a “sexual predator” and subjected him to “public hatred, contempt, and ridicule.” He is seeking monetary damages, public retractions, and nationwide broadcast apologies.
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The court had earlier, on November 6, granted an order for substituted service after bailiffs were unable to serve Akpoti-Uduaghan directly. The documents were subsequently delivered via the Clerk of the National Assembly.
Confirming receipt of the suit, Akpoti-Uduaghan said she is ready to face trial, emphasizing that the case now provides her the platform she was allegedly denied in the Senate.
She wrote on Facebook and Instagram:
“I’m in receipt of the newly instituted N200bn suit against me by Senator Godswill Akpabio claiming defamation on sexual harassment. Now, I am glad that Akpabio has brought this up because the Senate Committee on Ethics and Privileges failed to grant me an audience on this issue, relying on the fact that Godswill Akpabio’s wife had instituted a defamatory case against me. Therefore they couldn’t attend to a matter already in court.
“Albeit, I couldn’t proceed to court because by senate rules, I must still present my case before the Ethics committee (same committee that recommended my illegal suspension). Alas, I now have a chance to prove how I was sexually harassed and how my refusal to give in to his demands unleashed a series of unprovoked and unprecedented attacks on my person. See you in court Godswill Akpabio.”
The lawsuit has reignited discussions over tensions in the 10th Senate, with observers describing it as one of the most significant political face-offs between a Senate President and a sitting colleague in recent memory.
Akpoti-Uduaghan was suspended for six months in March 2025 after protesting the relocation of her seat during plenary and had accused Akpabio of targeting her, previously calling him a “dictator.” Although her suspension ended in September, she was unable to resume immediately due to legal hurdles and internal opposition from Senate leadership. Her sealed office was eventually reopened by officials of the Sergeant-at-Arms.
Since returning, she has maintained she has “no apology to tender,” insisting that attempts were being made to stifle dissent within the chamber. With both lawmakers now preparing for a court showdown, the case has once again drawn significant public attention.