Akpabio’s wife sues Natasha Akpoti-Uduaghan for defamation, demands billions in damages

• Unoma Akpabio has filed two lawsuits against Senator Natasha over alleged defamation and violation of fundamental rights
• Mrs Akpabio is seeking N250 billion in damages and a court injunction to prevent further defamatory statements
• She also demands N1 billion in a separate lawsuit and a public apology in two national  newspapers

Unoma Akpabio, wife of Senate President Godswill Akpabio, has taken legal action against Senator Natasha Akpoti-Uduaghan, filing separate lawsuits at the Federal Capital Territory (FCT) High Court in Abuja over allegations of defamation and fundamental human rights violations.

The legal dispute stems from Akpoti-Uduaghan’s recent claims that her challenges in the Senate began after she refused an alleged sexual advance from the Senate President.

In the first lawsuit (Suit No: CV/814/25), Mrs Akpabio accused Akpoti-Uduaghan, who represents Kogi Central, of making false and damaging statements that inflicted emotional distress on her and her children. 

She argued that these remarks violated her constitutional right to dignity and protection under the African Charter on Human and Peoples’ Rights.

She is seeking a court declaration that the senator’s statements violated her rights, along with N250 billion in compensation. 

Additionally, she is requesting a perpetual injunction to prevent Akpoti-Uduaghan from making further defamatory claims.

In a separate defamation lawsuit (Suit No: CV/816/25), Mrs Akpabio disputed Akpoti-Uduaghan’s allegations against her husband, labelling them as false and malicious. 

She argued that the accusations had tarnished her family’s reputation, causing public embarrassment.

As part of her legal demands, she has asked the court to order Akpoti-Uduaghan to issue a public apology in The Guardian and ThisDay newspapers, along with N1 billion in damages.

“The allegations have caused untold pain and emotional trauma to me and my family,” Mrs. Akpabio stated in her suit.

The tensions between the two lawmakers began after Akpoti-Uduaghan discovered her seat in the Senate chamber had been changed without her prior knowledge. 

Her protest over the seat reassignment briefly disrupted a plenary session.

Following the incident, the Senate referred the matter to its Committee on Ethics, Privileges, and Public Petitions, led by Senator Neda Imaseun of Edo South, with a directive to submit a report within two weeks.

In response, Akpoti-Uduaghan has also taken legal action, filing a N100 billion defamation lawsuit against Senate President Akpabio and his senior legislative aide, Mfon Patrick.

Her lawyer, Victor Giwa, argued that a Facebook post by Patrick, titled “Is Local Content Committee of the Senate Natasha’s Birthright?”, contained defamatory remarks. 

The post accused Akpoti-Uduaghan of believing that being a senator was about wearing makeup and transparent outfits to the chamber.

Giwa described the statement as damaging and said it had negatively affected his client’s reputation among colleagues and the public.

The dispute deepened when Akpoti-Uduaghan appeared on Arise Television’s Morning Show and reiterated her claims, accusing Akpabio of sexual harassment. 

She further alleged that some colleagues had advised her to accept the seat change, warning that it was part of a larger scheme against her.

Meanwhile, Unoma Akpabio has strongly denied the allegations, calling them baseless.

“My husband is a disciplined man who respects women,” she stated.

The court has yet to set a date for the hearings on both lawsuits.

Senator Akpoti-Uduaghan sues Godswill Akpabio over defamation

Meanwhile, TheRadar earlier reported that Senator Natasha Akpoti-Uduaghan has filed a defamation lawsuit against the President of the Senate, Senator Godswill Akpabio, over alleged defamatory statements published by his aide on Facebook.

The suit, marked CV/737/25, claims that a Facebook post, written by Patrick at Akpabio’s prompting, contained defamatory statements against Akpoti-Uduaghan.