Sexual Harassment: Akpabio Slams ₦200bn Suit on Natasha

*Akpoti-Uduaghhan fires back: ‘Good. now I can prove everything’

Sunday Aborisade in Abuja

Nigeria’s political landscape was rattled on Thursday as Senate President Godswill Obot Akpabio filed a staggering ₦200 billion defamation suit against Senator Natasha Akpoti-Uduaghan—an action analysts say could become one of the most consequential political and legal showdowns in recent years.

Akpabio is asking the High Court of the Federal Capital Territory to award him unprecedented damages over what he described as false, malicious and injurious allegations of sexual harassment levelled against him by the Kogi Central senator in media interviews and public statements.

According to court filings, the Senate President insists the lawmaker’s claims subjected him to “public hatred, contempt and ridicule,” portraying him as a “sexual predator” and a leader who abused his office.

He argues that millions of Nigerians consumed the interviews and online content, causing him emotional distress and inflicting grave damage on his political and social standing.

Akpabio is seeking extensive reliefs: ₦200 billion in damages; public retractions; compulsory nationwide broadcast apologies, and judicial affirmation that the allegations were defamatory.

The court has granted an order for substituted service after initial attempts to deliver the suit directly to Senator Akpoti-Uduaghhan were unsuccessful, allowing the documents to be served through the Clerk of the National Assembly.

But in a swift and fiery response, Senator Akpoti-Uduaghhan said she welcomes the legal battle, declaring that Akpabio’s move finally gives her the opportunity to present evidence she claims has long been blocked within the Senate.

She said, “Today, being the 5th day of December 2025, I am in receipt of the newly instituted ₦200 billion suit against me.

“I am glad that Senator Akpabio has brought this up because the Senate Committee on Ethics and Privileges refused to grant me an audience, claiming the matter was already in court.”

Akpoti noted that Senate rules had prevented her from initiating her own litigation earlier, explaining that she was required to first appear before the Ethics Committee, the same committee that suspended her.

Freed from that procedural bottleneck, she said she is now prepared to lay everything bare.

“I now have a chance to prove how I was sexually harassed and how my refusal to give into his demands unleashed a series of unprecedented attacks on my person. See you in court, Godswill Akpabio.”

The escalation has gripped national attention, with legal and political observers describing it as a watershed moment, pitting the nation’s number three office holder against one of the Senate’s most outspoken reformist voices.

The case is expected to shape public debate on accountability, gender-based allegations, institutional transparency, and ethical conduct within Nigeria’s highest political structures.

As both sides prepare for what promises to be a bruising courtroom confrontation, Nigerians are watching closely.

For Akpabio, the lawsuit is a battle for reputation and authority. For Akpoti, it is the long-awaited chance to substantiate allegations she insists she was denied the avenue to present.

Either way, the stakes, for the individuals, the Senate, and the broader political system, could not be higher.