Abuja, Nigeria – December 6, 2025
In a dramatic escalation of one of Nigeria's most contentious political scandals, Senate President Godswill Akpabio has filed a staggering N200 billion ($480 million) defamation lawsuit against Senator Natasha Akpoti-Uduaghan, the outspoken lawmaker from Kogi Central, over her public allegations of sexual harassment against him. The suit, lodged at the Federal Capital Territory (FCT) High Court in Abuja under case number CV/3356/2025, seeks not only massive damages but also a public retraction and apology, marking a bold legal counteroffensive in a feud that has gripped the nation for nearly a year.
The lawsuit revives a saga that began in February 2025, when Akpoti-Uduaghan first went public with her claims during a live interview on Arise TV. In that appearance, the senator detailed alleged advances by Akpabio, including an incident at his Akwa Ibom residence where he reportedly held her hand and said, "I'm going to create time for us to come spend quality moments here. You will enjoy it." She further accused him of linking the approval of her legislative motion on the Ajaokuta Steel Company corruption probe to her "taking care" of him, implying sexual favors. Akpoti-Uduaghan claimed these rejections triggered a pattern of institutional retaliation, including her controversial six-month suspension from the Senate in March.
Akpabio, a prominent figure in President Bola Tinubu's All Progressives Congress (APC) and a former Akwa Ibom governor, has vehemently denied the allegations from the outset, labeling them "baseless, malicious, and injurious." In the defamation suit, filed on August 25, 2025, by Senior Advocate of Nigeria S.I. Ameh, Akpabio argues that Akpoti-Uduaghan's statements—broadcast on television, radio, and amplified online—portrayed him as a "sexual predator" who exploits his position for personal gratification. He contends the claims exposed him to "public hatred, contempt, and ridicule" both domestically and internationally, damaging his reputation as a family man and public servant.
The suit demands N200 billion in general damages, plus N500 million in litigation costs. It also seeks a court order compelling Akpoti-Uduaghan to issue a public apology in national newspapers and ensure the removal of all online content containing the allegations within three days of judgment. Akpabio's legal team has attached a statement of claim and a list of witnesses who, according to court documents, viewed him as a predator post-allegation.
Akpoti-Uduaghan, a Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) member and one of only four women in Nigeria's 109-seat Senate, confirmed receipt of the court notice in a fiery Facebook post on December 5, 2025. "Today being the 5th day of December, 2025, I’m in receipt of the newly instituted 200 billion naira suit against me by Senator Godswill Akpabio claiming defamation on sexual harassment," she wrote, attaching a November 6 court order by Justice U.P. Kekemeke authorizing substituted service via the Clerk of the National Assembly after failed attempts at personal delivery. The hearing is slated for January 21, 2026.
Far from cowed, the senator framed the lawsuit as a vindication. "Alas, I now have a chance to prove how I was sexually harassed and how my refusal to give into his demands unleashed series of unprovoked and unprecedented attacks on my person," she declared. She accused the Senate Committee on Ethics and Privileges—the same body that recommended her suspension—of stonewalling her petition, citing a separate defamation suit filed by Akpabio's wife, Unoma Akpabio, as grounds for deeming the matter "sub judice." Senate rules, she noted, barred her from court action without first exhausting internal channels, creating a procedural Catch-22.
This is not the first legal salvo in the dispute. Unoma Akpabio filed a N250 billion defamation suit against Akpoti-Uduaghan earlier in 2025, while one of Akpabio's aides pursued a N100 billion claim. Akpoti-Uduaghan, undeterred, has vowed to use the upcoming trial to expose what she calls a "culture of silence and intimidation" in Nigeria's male-dominated legislature.
The origins of the rift trace back to February 20, 2025, when tensions boiled over on the Senate floor. Akpoti-Uduaghan protested a unilateral seating rearrangement ordered by Akpabio, which relocated her to a remote corner of the chamber following the defection of two opposition senators to the APC. She decried it as a "trap" to marginalize her, invoking Senate Orders 24 and 6 before being ejected by sergeants-at-arms. Akpabio quipped, "We are not in a nightclub," a remark he later apologized for amid public outcry.
Days later, on February 28, Akpoti-Uduaghan escalated by submitting a formal petition to the Ethics Committee and appearing on Arise TV. She alleged the harassment dated to December 2023, just before their shared birthdays, during a courtesy visit to Akpabio's residence. Her husband, she said, later warned her against solo trips to the Senate President. Akpabio's office dismissed the claims as a fabrication born of frustration over her removal as chair of the Senate Committee on Local Content.
The Ethics Committee, chaired by Senator Neda Imasuen (APC, Edo South), dismissed the petition on March 5, 2025, citing procedural flaws: Akpoti-Uduaghan had signed it herself, violating rules requiring another senator's endorsement. The very next day, March 6, the full Senate adopted the committee's recommendation for a six-month suspension without pay, barring her from the premises, locking her office, and withdrawing her security and allowances. Senate Majority Leader Opeyemi Bamidele justified it as a lesson in "Senate rules," while critics decried it as retaliation.
The suspension sparked nationwide outrage, with feminist groups like TechHerNG and the #WeAreAllNatasha movement protesting what they called a "classic abuse of power." Women's rights activist Hadiza Ado labeled it a "sad day for Nigerian women," highlighting the underrepresentation of women in politics—only 4% in the Senate. International bodies, including the Inter-Parliamentary Union, took note, with Akpoti-Uduaghan lodging complaints. A Federal High Court injunction briefly halted the probe, but the suspension stood, later deemed "excessive" by Justice Inyang Ekwo in a related ruling.
Backlash against Akpoti-Uduaghan was swift and vicious. False social media smears claimed she had six children by different fathers; pro-Akpabio protesters harassed her in Abuja. She received no support from her female Senate colleagues, underscoring analyst Ayomide Ladipo's point: "Women are part of the same patronage system as men in Nigerian politics. Speaking out risks being blacklisted."
Akpabio's camp pushed back hard. On December 6, his media aide, Jackson Udom, issued a statement clarifying that the suit was not "newly filed" but initiated in August, delayed by "routine administrative processes." He accused Akpoti-Uduaghan of "sensationalised commentary" to garner sympathy and urged her to present evidence in court, not on social media. "It is time for Senator Akpoti-Uduaghan to... obscure the facts," Udom said.
As the January 21 hearing approaches, the case transcends personal animosity, spotlighting deeper issues: sexual harassment in Nigeria's corridors of power, institutional accountability, and the perils women face in challenging the status quo. With Nigeria's economy reeling and corruption scandals abound, this high-stakes courtroom drama could redefine political discourse—or entrench a chilling effect on whistleblowers.
Legal experts predict a protracted battle. "This isn't just defamation; it's a test of free speech versus reputation in a polarized Senate," said constitutional lawyer Femi Falana. Akpoti-Uduaghan, reinstated in September after her suspension, has since been stripped of committee chairs, including Diaspora and NGOs in July. Yet she remains defiant: "Against the culture of silence, intimidation, and victim-shaming, I stand."
Observers from the BBC to The Guardian have chronicled the saga as emblematic of Nigeria's gender equity struggles, where powerful men wield influence to silence accusers. As one X (formerly Twitter) user quipped in a viral post: "Natasha's fight is every woman's fight—until the courts prove otherwise."
The outcome could ripple through the 10th Senate, already marred by defections and internal rifts. For now, Abuja's legal eagles circle, while the nation watches: Will justice prevail, or will power prevail?
