The wife of the President of the Senate, Mrs. Unoma Godswill Akpabio, has filed two separate lawsuits against Senator Natasha Akpoti-Uduaghan at the High Court of the Federal Capital Territory, Abuja, alleging defamation and violation of her fundamental rights.
The lawsuits stem from statements made by Senator Akpoti-Uduaghan on the floor of the Senate on February 20, 2025, and during a subsequent televised interview on Arise News.
In the fundamental rights suit (Suit No: CV/814/25), Mrs. Akpabio contends that the senator’s remarks constituted a violation of her rights under the Nigerian Constitution and the African Charter on Human and Peoples’ Rights. She is seeking a court declaration affirming this violation, along with an order restraining Senator Akpoti-Uduaghan from making further “inciteful, scandalous, and spiteful” statements. Additionally, she is demanding N250 billion in damages for the alleged psychological harm suffered by her and her children.
In a separate defamation lawsuit (Suit No: CV/816/25), Mrs. Akpabio accuses Senator Akpoti-Uduaghan of making false and damaging claims on national television. She specifically references an allegation that her husband, Senate President Godswill Akpabio, made sexual advances toward the senator. The lawsuit seeks a court order compelling the senator to retract her statements and publish an apology in The Guardian and This Day newspapers. Mrs. Akpabio is also demanding N1 billion in damages for the harm to her family’s reputation.
Both lawsuits include orders of perpetual injunction, barring Senator Akpoti-Uduaghan from making further statements that could be deemed defamatory or infringing on Mrs. Akpabio’s rights.
As of press time, Senator Akpoti-Uduaghan has not publicly responded to the lawsuits.
