…Seeks ₦250bn in damages

Unoma Akpabio, the wife of Senate President Godswill Akpabio, has initiated legal proceedings against Senator Natasha Akpoti-Uduaghan at the Federal Capital Territory High Court, Abuja, over allegations of defamation and violation of fundamental human rights.

The lawsuits stem from recent claims made by Akpoti-Uduaghan, who represents Kogi Central, that she faced challenges in the Senate after rejecting alleged sexual advances from the Senate President.

In the first case concerning fundamental rights (Suit No: CV/814/25), Mrs Akpabio accused the senator of making false and damaging statements that had inflicted emotional distress on her and her children, leaving them in fear for their safety. She urged the court to declare the statements a breach of her constitutional right to dignity, as enshrined in the African Charter on Human and Peoples’ Rights.

Additionally, she is seeking ₦250 billion in damages and a perpetual injunction restraining Akpoti-Uduaghan from making further such claims.

In a separate defamation suit (Suit No: CV/816/25), Mrs Akpabio challenged the senator’s allegations regarding her husband’s alleged sexual advances. She described the claims as false, malicious, and damaging to her family’s reputation.

As part of the suit, she has requested the court to compel Akpoti-Uduaghan to publish a public apology in two national newspapers, The Guardian and ThisDay, while also demanding ₦1 billion in damages.

“The allegations have caused untold pain and emotional trauma to me and my family,” Mrs Akpabio stated in the suit.

The court is yet to schedule a date for the hearing of both cases.

The dispute between the two lawmakers originated when Akpoti-Uduaghan discovered her Senate chamber seat had been reassigned without her prior knowledge. The Senate subsequently referred the matter to the Committee on Ethics, Privileges, and Public Petitions, chaired by Senator Neda Imaseun of Edo South, with a directive to submit its findings within two weeks.

In response, Akpoti-Uduaghan filed a ₦100 billion defamation lawsuit against Akpabio and his senior legislative aide, Mfon Patrick. Her legal representative, Victor Giwa, alleged that a defamatory post, titled “Is Local Content Committee of the Senate Natasha’s Birthright?”, was published on Patrick’s Facebook page.

The post reportedly accused the senator of viewing her role in the Senate as being limited to wearing makeup and transparent outfits. Describing the publication as provocative and damaging, Giwa argued that it had tarnished his client’s reputation among her colleagues and the public.

The controversy intensified on Friday when Akpoti-Uduaghan appeared on Arise Television’s Morning Show, where she reiterated her allegations against Akpabio. She claimed that some of her colleagues had warned her to accept the seating reassignment, suggesting it was part of a larger plot against her.

Meanwhile, Mrs Akpabio dismissed the allegations as false and unfounded.

“My husband is a disciplined man who respects women,” she said.