Senator Natasha Akpoti-Uduaghan, representing Kogi-North Senatorial District, has initiated a defamation lawsuit demanding N100 billion in damages against Senate President Godswill Akpabio and Mfon Patrick, a Senior Legislative Aide to the Senate President.
The case, filed in the High Court of the Federal Capital Territory, Abuja, claims that the defendants made defamatory statements about her on social media, which allegedly harmed her reputation and personal dignity.
Identified as Suit No. CU/737/25, the legal action names Senator Akpoti-Uduaghan as the claimant, while Senate President Akpabio, the Senate as an institution, and Mfon Patrick are listed as the first, second, and third defendants, respectively.
Her legal team, Victor Giwa & Associates, filed the suit, seeking N100 billion in general damages along with an additional N300 million to cover legal expenses.
The lawsuit further requests a public apology and a permanent injunction preventing the defendants from making or disseminating further defamatory statements against her.
The dispute originates from a Facebook post allegedly authored by Mfon Patrick, the third defendant, on his personal account.
Titled “Is Local Content Committee of the Senate Natasha’s Birthright?”, the post contained critical remarks about Senator Akpoti-Uduaghan.
It reportedly stated: “The Kogi lawmaker harbors bottled-up anger and lacks knowledge of legislative procedures. She mistakenly believes that being a legislator is merely about applying makeup and wearing revealing outfits to the Senate Chambers.”
Senator Akpoti-Uduaghan asserts that the post was published at the direction of Senate President Akpabio and has severely damaged her public image.
She contends that the post subjected her to ridicule, led to the loss of business opportunities, and tarnished her standing among her colleagues and constituents.
As part of the lawsuit, she is seeking:
- A court declaration that the Facebook post was defamatory and harmed her public reputation.
- A directive compelling the defendants to retract the publication and issue a public apology in a widely circulated national newspaper.
- A permanent injunction preventing them from making further defamatory statements.
- N100 billion in damages for reputational harm and N300 million to cover the legal costs incurred.
Senator Akpoti-Uduaghan, a former human rights advocate and legal practitioner, was elected to the Senate in 2023.
In 2025, she was honored as Best Senator of the Year by ThisDay Newspapers and ARISE TV.
However, tensions between her and Senate President Akpabio have reportedly escalated.
She alleges that Akpabio has persistently sought to undermine her role by stripping her of key committee positions and reassigning her Senate seat without prior notice.
According to her, these actions culminated in the defamatory Facebook post, which she describes as a deliberate and malicious effort to damage her reputation.
Her claims against the defendants, both collectively and individually, include:
- A declaration that the statements published by the first and second defendants and disseminated by the third defendant were defamatory, demeaning, and harmful to her reputation in the eyes of colleagues and the public.
- A court order mandating the defendants to immediately retract the defamatory statements and issue a written apology, to be published in a widely circulated national newspaper.
- A perpetual injunction preventing the defendants or their associates from making or sharing further defamatory remarks about her on social media or through any other medium.
- Compensation of N100 billion in general damages for reputational harm.
- Payment of N300 million to cover the legal expenses associated with the lawsuit.
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