There seems to be growing tension between Senate President Godswill Akpabio and Senator Natasha Akpoti-Uduaghan. Last week, this was made evident when Akpabio ordered his Aide-de-Camp to walk Natasha out of the legislative chamber following a confrontation between them.
The dispute stemmed from an unauthorized change in Natasha’s seating position in the Senate, which she strongly objected to.
In response to the escalating situation, Senator Natasha has filed a defamation lawsuit against Akpabio, seeking a whopping N100.3 billion in damages.
The suit was filed at the Federal Capital Territory High Court (FCT) in Abuja and is centered around a Facebook post made by Akpabio’s aide. The post, titled “Is Local Content Committee of the Senate Natasha’s Birthright?”, allegedly maligned Natasha’s reputation and character.
In addition to Akpabio, other defendants named in the suit include the Senate itself, Mfon Patrick (Akpabio’s senior legislative aide), and several other associates. Natasha argues that the Facebook post was not only defamatory but also deliberately designed to provoke and disparage her. She claims it lowered her standing in the eyes of her colleagues and tarnished her reputation among the public.
Through her legal team, led by Mr. Victor Giwa, Natasha is seeking several remedies. She has asked the court to compel the defendants to immediately withdraw the defamatory statements, issue a formal written apology, and refrain from publishing any further disparaging remarks about her.
In her suit, she seeks a declaration that certain statements made about her by Mfon Patrick – such as referring to her as a “lawmaker who knows nothing about legislative rules” and making comments about her appearance – are defamatory and intended to provoke public backlash against her.
Furthermore, Natasha is asking the court for an order of perpetual injunction to prevent the defendants from making or publishing any further defamatory statements, whether on social media or through any other channels.
The Kogi Senator has demanded N100 billion in general damages and an additional N300 million to cover the costs of the legal proceedings. This case has added another layer of drama to the already strained relationship between the two political figures.