Senator Natasha Akpoti-Uduaghan Files N100Billion Defamation Suit Against Akpabio, Aide Over Facebook Post

 

The suit also demands a public apology and a perpetual injunction restraining the defendants from further publishing defamatory statements against her.

Senator Natasha Akpoti-Uduaghan, representing Kogi-North Senatorial District, has filed a N100 billion defamation lawsuit against Senate President Godswill Akpabio, and Mfon Patrick, a Senior Legislative Aide to the Senate President.

The suit, filed at the High Court of the Federal Capital Territory in Abuja, alleges that the defendants made and published defamatory statements against her on social media, causing harm to her reputation and dignity.

In Suit No. CU/737/25, Senator Natasha Akpoti-Uduaghan is the claimant, while Senate President Akpabio; President of the Senate and Mfon Patrick are the 1st to 3rd defendants respectively.

In a case filed by her legal team, Victor Giwa & Associates, Senator Akpoti-Uduaghan is seeking N100 billion in general damages and N300 million as the cost of legal action.

The suit also demands a public apology and a perpetual injunction restraining the defendants from further publishing defamatory statements against her.

However, the controversy stems from a Facebook post allegedly made by Mfon Patrick, the third defendant, on his personal page.

The post, titled “Is Local Content Committee of the Senate Natasha’s Birthright?”, contained disparaging remarks about Senator Akpoti-Uduaghan.

The post reportedly stated: “It is a bottled anger by the Kogi lawmaker, who knows nothing about legislative rules. She thinks being a lawmaker is all about ‘pancaking’ her face and wearing transparent outfits to the Chambers.”

Senator Akpoti-Uduaghan claims that the post was made at the request of Senate President Akpabio and has harmed her reputation.

She alleges that the publication has subjected her to public ridicule, resulted in the loss of business opportunities, and damaged her reputation among colleagues and constituents.

In the suit, Senator Akpoti-Uduaghan is seeking: “A declaration that the Facebook post is defamatory and has lowered her esteem in the eyes of the public and an order compelling the defendants to withdraw the publication and issue a public apology in a national daily newspaper. 

"A perpetual injunction restraining the defendants from further publishing defamatory statements. N100 billion in general damages for the harm caused to her reputation and N300 million as the cost of legal action.”

Senator Akpoti-Uduaghan, a former human rights activist and legal practitioner, was elected to the Senate in 2023.

She earned the ‘Best Senator of the Year’ award in 2025 from ThisDay Newspapers and ARISE TV. 

However, her relationship with Senate President Akpabio has reportedly been strained.

She alleges that Akpabio has consistently undermined her role as a senator, including removing her from key committees and reassigning her Senate seat without notice.

She claims these actions culminated in the defamatory Facebook post, which she describes as a malicious attempt to tarnish her reputation.

The Claimant claims against the Defendants jointly and severally as follows:

"A declaration that the words caused to be published by the 1st and 2nd Defendants and published by the 3rd Defendant acting as the legislative aide to the 1st Defendant on his Facebook page with the heading – “IS LOCAL CONTENT COMMITTEE OF THE SENATE NATASHA BIRTHRIGHT”, where the 3rd Defendant at the prompting of the 1st and 2nd Defendants continued further thus: ‘It is a bottled anger by the Kogi Lawmaker, who knows nothing about legislative rules. She thinks being a lawmaker is all about pancaking her face and wearing transparent outfits to the Chambers’ is defamatory, provocative, disparaging, lowering in dignity the estimation of the Claimant in the eyes of her colleagues and right-thinking members of the public.

"A declaration that the words ‘it is a bottled anger by the Kogi Lawmaker, who knows nothing about legislative rules. She thinks being a lawmaker is all about pancaking her face and wearing transparent outfits to the Chambers’ used and written by the 3rd Defendant at the prompting of the 1st and 2nd Defendants is defamatory and intended to cause public opprobrium and disaffection towards the Claimant by members of the public.

"An order of this honourable court compelling the Defendants to withdraw the said defamatory words and publication made against the Claimant immediately and to apologize to the Claimant in writing and publish same in one national daily newspaper widely circulated within the jurisdiction of this Court.

"An order of perpetual injunction restraining the Defendants whether acting by themselves, or through their agents, privies, assigns or associates from further publishing or causing to be published the said defamatory words herein stated or any other similar publications about the Claimant on the social media platform or in any other manner, which is capable of defaming the Claimant.

"An Order for payment of the sum of N100, 000,000,000 (ONE HUNDRED BILLION NAIRA as general damages.

"An Order for payment of the sum of N300, 000,000.00 (Three Hundred Million Naira) only as Cost of action."

Natasha Akpoti-Uduaghan has recently engaged in a series of confrontations with Senate President Akpabio, highlighting tensions within the Nigerian Senate.

Seating Arrangement Dispute

On February 20, 2025, during a Senate session, Senator Akpoti-Uduaghan discovered that her seat had been reassigned without prior notice.

Interpreting this as an attempt to diminish her visibility and stifle her contributions, she refused to occupy the new seat. Chief Whip Tahir Monguno cited Senate rules to justify the reassignment, explaining that changes were necessary due to shifts in party affiliations among senators.

Despite this, Akpoti-Uduaghan stood her ground, leading to a heated exchange with Senate President Akpabio, who directed the sergeant-at-arms to enforce the seating arrangement.

In July 2024, during a Senate plenary session, Akpabio reprimanded Senator Akpoti-Uduaghan for speaking without proper recognition, stating, "This is not a nightclub."

This remark was widely criticized for being sexist and demeaning. In response to public outcry, Akpabio issued a public apology, expressing that he did not intend to denigrate any woman and emphasizing his respect for women.

This incident highlights ongoing tensions between Akpabio and Akpoti-Uduaghan, which have resurfaced in the recent disputes over seating arrangements and committee assignments within the Senate