Senator Natasha Akpoti-Uduaghan Sues Senate President Godswill Akpabio for Defamation
Kogi Central Senator, Natasha Akpoti-Uduaghan, has taken Senate President Godswill Akpabio to court over alleged defamation of character.
The lawsuit, filed at the High Court of the Federal Capital Territory, claims Akpabio defamed her through comments published on his social media platform by one of his aides .
Akpoti-Uduaghan alleges that Akpabio’s actions were intended to distract her from performing her legislative duties and damage her reputation.
She claims that Akpabio removed her from various Senate committees, forcing her to pay personally for international official trips and hotel bills.
The senator is seeking a declaration that the defamatory statement, which suggested she was more concerned with her appearance than her legislative duties, was intended to cause public ridicule and disaffection.
She is also asking the court to award her N100 billion in general damages and N300 million in litigation costs.
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Akpabio, however, has explained that Akpoti-Uduaghan breached Senate rules, which led to her being referred to the Committee on Ethics, Code of Conduct and Public Petitions for investigation.
The Senate may take punitive actions against her, including suspension, over her alleged “un-parliamentary conduct”.