Why Senator Natasha Akpoti dey sue fellow lawmaker 5 billion naira

BBC News

08-04-2025

Senator Natasha Akpoti - Uduaghan wey dey represent Kogi Central Senatorial District sama N5 billion naira suit against fellow lawmaker.
She sama her colleague Senator Onyekachi Nwaebonyi wey dey represent Ebonyi North Central Senatorial District, sake of alleged defamation.
Natasha file di suit thru her lawyer, Michael Numa, for di Federal Capital Territory High Court for Abuja.
Di suit against di Deputy Chief Whip of di senate dey seek to declare as false and malicious, statements wey Nwaebonyi bin make during im interview wit local media Channels Television on 6 March, 2025.
For di suit, Akpoti-Uduaghan say Nwaebonyi bin describe her as a "gold digger, habitual liar, and habitual blackmailer" during di interview.
She tell di court to declare as false, malicious, and defamatory claims say she be mama of six children from different men wey her colleague allegedly make.
She note say dat type of remarks fit undermine her reputation as a role model for women ey dey hope to enta politics.
"The defendant's characterisation of the claimant as a 'mother of six from different men' is baseless, malicious, and reckless," the suit states.
According to di statement Natasha say "Di claimant na inspiration to women in politics and aspiring women for speaking truth to power.
"Di claimant no dey spoil di chances of women in politics as falsely alleged. Rather, she dey inspire women to dey bold for dia pursuit of political aspirations and good governance."
Mrs Akpoti-Uduaghan also tok for di suit say di statements of Nwaebonyi don cause significant harm to her reputation and public embarrassment.
She also seek court order wey go stop Nwaebonyi from making further malicious statements against her.
N5 billion suit and oda charges
Di Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) lawmaker tell court to direct Nwaebonyi to pay N5 billion for damages sake of di false, malicious, and injurious statements im bin make against her.
She also beg di court to force Nwaebonyi to take back di defamatory remarks on di same platform wia im bin initially make and issue unreserved apology.
Di court filing dey seek "an order of perpetual injunction to restrain di defendant, im associates, agents, assignees, servants, privies, proxies, allies, or anyone wey dey acting on im behalf from further publishing or causing to be published di words wey complained of, or any oda defamatory statements concerning di claimant."
Di document further requests "an order of dis Honourable Court to compelling di defendant to retract di defamatory statements on di same platforms im use to make di allegations and to tender an unreserved apology for at least two national newspapers, both in print and online, wey go spread nationwide, within seven days from di date of judgment."
Natasha no stop there o, inside di suit she also call for "an order of dis Honourable Court to award di sum of N5 billion as damages in favour of di claimant for di false, malicious, and injurious statements wey don cause di claimant considerable distress, reputational harm, embarrassment, and emotional distress."
She also seek , "an order of dis Honourable Court to award post-judgment interest on di judgment sum at a rate of 10% per annum from di date of delivery of di judgment until di judgment debt dey paid in full."
How di mata start?
Na for February, 2025 wey kasala bin happun for di National Assembly for Nigeria.
Di kasala na between di Speaker, Godswill Akpabio and Senator, Natasha Uduaghan wey dey represent Kogi Central Senatorial District.
Di Senate President Godswill Akpabio bin give order to di Sergeant-at-Arms to carry Senator Natasha Uduaghan comot from di chamber.
According to local media, AIT di kasala start from wen di Chief Whip of di Senate, Mohammed Monguno, tell di Senate say senator Natasha no gree relocate to di new seat wey dem give her.
Di Chief whip add say di reason why dem give her di new seat na to close di gaps wey di two pipo wey defect from di opposition senators create as dem join di ruling All Progressives Congress (APC) from minority party.
Senator Natasha wey bin dey 'visibly frustrated' accuse Akpabio say im dey deliberately silence her voice and also deny her di opportunity to contribute to motions.
Natasha match leg for ground as she tok say she no go gree make dem push her go corner.
She add say di worst tin wey di former govnor of Akwa-Ibom state goment fit do na to suspend her.
Natasha tok say even though dem suspend her, she go kontinu to serving her pipo for Kogi Central and di women of Nigeria.
Natasha sama accuse for Akpabio head say im dey "discriminate against her, malign, and dehumanize her."
According to officials of di senate, Natasha bin break dia rules to disobey di order to relocate to her new seat.
From here, di senate sama Natasha six months suspension but she tell Senate President, Godswill Akpabio say 'I no dey fear you'
Since den Natasha dey on suspension but she still dey do her tins.
She been go different media to tok about her case wia she also sama accuse of sexual harrasment on Akpabio.
Recently Kogi stte goment bin ban gatherings for di state sake of her 'home coming' but Ntasha still do am.
Pipo for her constituency bin allegedly want to recall her, but e no work as Inec fault petitioners recall process for Senator Natasha Akpoti-Uduaghan