Senate President Godswill Akpabio has filed a fresh ₦200 billion defamation lawsuit against Senator Natasha Akpoti-Uduaghan (Kogi Central), accusing her of publishing false and malicious allegations of sexual harassment against him.
The lawsuit, filed at the Federal Capital Territory (FCT) High Court in Abuja, seeks extensive damages and a public retraction of the claims, which Akpabio alleges have severely injured his reputation and subjected him to public ridicule.
The legal action stems from public statements made by Akpoti-Uduaghan, including an interview on live television, where she alleged that the Senate President made sexual advances toward her and that her subsequent troubles in the Senate were a result of her refusal.
Akpabio’s suit contends that these claims are entirely untrue and depict him as a “sexual predator.”
Senator Akpoti-Uduaghan, confirming receipt of the court documents on Friday, welcomed the lawsuit, stating that the court case provides her with the platform she was allegedly denied within the Senate's disciplinary committee to finally prove her allegations of sexual harassment and subsequent political victimization.
The court had previously granted an order for substituted service, allowing the Senate President to deliver the court papers via the Clerk of the National Assembly.
The civil suit marks a significant escalation in the highly public feud between the two lawmakers, which began with a heated debate over seat allocations in the Senate chamber.
Akpoti-Uduaghan was later suspended from the Senate and previously faced a ₦100 billion defamation suit from Akpabio’s legislative aide, and a separate ₦250 billion suit from the Senate President's wife, Unoma Akpabio.
The new N200 billion suit against Akpoti-Uduaghan is scheduled to commence on January 21, 2026.
