Natasha sues Akpabio for defamation, demands N100.3bn damages

Senator Natasha Akpoti-Uduaghan has filed a defamation lawsuit against Senate President Godswill Akpabio and his aide, Mfon Patrick, seeking N100 billion in general damages and N300 million in litigation costs. The suit filed at an FCT High Court, stems from an altercation on February 20 over the reassignment of Natasha’s senate seat, which she claims […]

Senator Natasha Akpoti-Uduaghan has filed a defamation lawsuit against Senate President Godswill Akpabio and his aide, Mfon Patrick, seeking N100 billion in general damages and N300 million in litigation costs.

The suit filed at an FCT High Court, stems from an altercation on February 20 over the reassignment of Natasha’s senate seat, which she claims was done without her knowledge or consent. The controversy escalated following a Facebook post by Patrick, which she alleges defamed her character.

In the post, titled “Is Local Content Committee of the Senate Natasha’s Birthright?”, Patrick reportedly wrote: “It is a bottled anger by the Kogi lawmaker, who knows nothing about legislative rules. She thinks being a lawmaker is all about pancaking her face and wearing transparent outfits to the chambers.”

Natasha argues that the publication is defamatory, lowers her dignity in the eyes of her colleagues and the public, and is damaging to her reputation as a senator, businesswoman, and human rights activist.

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She is asking the court to compel them to retract the publication and issue a written apology in a national newspaper.

Additionally, Natasha claims that instead of addressing her concerns over her seat reassignment, Akpabio ordered security personnel to remove her from her position in the chamber, which she describes as unparliamentary and demeaning.

No date has been set for the hearing.

Meanwhile, the Senate has unanimously voted to refer Senator Natasha to the Committee on Ethics, Privileges, and Public Petitions, for disciplinary review, following the standoff over seating arrangements.

Chaired by Senator Neda Imaseun (LP, Edo South), the committee has been given two weeks to report back on its findings.