The war between Senate President Godswill Akpabio and suspended Kogi State Senator, Natasha Akpoti seems unending. Though their case is in court, Akpabio went to court recently and this is his prayer.
Senate President Godswill Akpabio has approached Federal High Court in Abuja, asking it to compel suspended Kogi Central Senator Natasha Akpoti-Uduaghan to take down a mock apology she posted on social media.
Akpabio’s demand is part of a motion filed in response to the lawsuit Akpoti-Uduaghan instituted to challenge her suspension from the Senate.
On April 4, Justice Binta Nyako, who took over the case after another judge recused himself, issued a restraining order against public commentary on the matter.
“There shall be no press interviews by all parties and counsels as regard the subject matter of this suit,” she ruled.
“There shall be no streaming or social media post as regards this case. There shall be no television analysis of this subject matter while the case is subjudice.”
Despite this, Akpoti-Uduaghan on April 27 shared a mock apology on her official Facebook page, mocking the Senate president’s leadership style and insinuating that his alleged misconduct was being rewarded in the upper chamber.
In her mock statement, Akpoti-Uduaghan ‘apologised’ for the “crime of maintaining dignity and self-respect,” adding that success in the Senate under Akpabio’s leadership appeared to depend more on personal loyalty than merit or competence.
The post quickly went viral, triggering mixed reactions.
Akpabio’s legal team, led by senior advocate Kehinde Ogunwumiju, argued that the post violated the judge’s order and asked the court to mandate the suspended senator to delete the post from all her social media platforms.
They also want the court to compel her to issue a written apology, publish it in at least two national newspapers and submit an affidavit of compliance to confirm her obedience to the directives.