Unoma Akpabio, wife of Senate President Godswill Akpabio, has filed two separate lawsuits against Senator Natasha Akpoti-Uduaghan at the Federal Capital Territory High Court, Abuja, alleging defamation and the violation of her fundamental human rights.
The lawsuits stem from Akpoti-Uduaghan’s claims that her challenges in the Senate began after she allegedly refused a sexual relationship with the Senate President.
In the fundamental rights suit (Suit No: CV/814/25), Mrs. Akpabio accused the senator representing Kogi Central of making defamatory statements that caused emotional distress to her and her children, leaving them fearful for their safety.
She requested the court to rule that the statements violated her right to dignity as protected by the Nigerian Constitution and the African Charter on Human and Peoples’ Rights.
Akpabio is demanding ₦250 billion in damages and a permanent injunction barring Akpoti-Uduaghan from making further damaging claims.
In a separate defamation suit (Suit No: CV/816/25), Mrs. Akpabio challenged the senator’s allegations of sexual advances by her husband, calling them false, malicious, and damaging to her family’s reputation.
“The allegations have caused untold pain and emotional trauma to me and my family,” Mrs. Akpabio stated in the suit.
She is seeking ₦1 billion in damages and has requested the court to order Akpoti-Uduaghan to publish a public apology in The Guardian and ThisDay newspapers.
The court has not yet set a date for the hearing of the suits.
The tension between the two lawmakers escalated when Akpoti-Uduaghan protested a change in her Senate seating position without prior notice, disrupting a plenary session. The matter was referred to the Senate Committee on Ethics, Privileges, and Public Petitions for investigation, with a report expected within two weeks.
In response, Akpoti-Uduaghan filed a ₦100 billion defamation lawsuit against Akpabio and his senior aide, Mfon Patrick, over a Facebook post titled “Is Local Content Committee of the Senate Natasha’s Birthright?” which she claimed damaged her reputation.
On Friday, during an interview on Arise Television’s Morning Show, Akpoti-Uduaghan reiterated her claims of harassment and suggested her seat change was part of a broader scheme against her.
Meanwhile, Unoma Akpabio dismissed the accusations as baseless, stating: “My husband is a disciplined man who respects women.”
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