Embattled Kogi Central Senator, Natasha Akpoti-Uduaghan, has dragged her colleague, Senator Onyekachi Nwaebonyi, to court over comments she described as defamatory and damaging to her reputation.
In a lawsuit filed at the High Court of the Federal Capital Territory (FCT), Abuja, Akpoti-Uduaghan, through her legal team led by Senior Advocate of Nigeria (SAN), M.J. Numa, is demanding N5 billion in damages over what she termed as "false, malicious and injurious" statements made by Nwaebonyi during a live broadcast.
According to court documents, the defendant, who represents Ebonyi North Senatorial District and serves as Deputy Chief Whip of the Senate, appeared on Channels Television's Sunrise Daily programme on March 6, 2025, where he made a series of damaging allegations.
He reportedly described Senator Akpoti-Uduaghan as a "gold digger," a "habitual liar," and a "habitual blackmailer."
He also allegedly claimed that she had "six children for different men," and that her husband, Chief Emmanuel Uduaghan, married her "under duress."
Reacting through her suit, Akpoti-Uduaghan stated that these allegations were baseless and calculated to destroy her character in the eyes of the public.
"These statements were broadcast nationally and rebroadcast across multiple online and social media platforms, thus ensuring wide publication," the claimant stated in the suit.
She further submitted that,
"The claimant further contends that these statements in their natural and ordinary meaning, are meant and were understood to portray the claimant: as someone who constantly extorts people for money through dishonest and unscrupulous means as a career."
"As someone who demands money or other benefits from someone in return for not revealing compromising or damaging information about them. As a woman who forms relationships with men purely to obtain money or gifts from them."
"As someone who constantly tells lies and does not speak the truth on most occasions and as someone who uses the threat of damaging information to coerce others into acting in her favour."
Akpoti-Uduaghan insisted that the defendant made the remarks "deliberately" and "knowing same to be false," with the intent to discredit her and justify her illegal suspension from the Senate.
"The claimant is an inspiration to women in politics and aspiring women for speaking truth to power," she stated. "The claimant is not spoiling the chance of women in politics as falsely alleged, rather she is inspiring women to be bold in their quest for politics and good governance."
She further accused the senator of trying to prejudice the public against her ongoing petition before the Senate Committee on Ethics, Code of Conduct and Public Petitions, of which he is also a member.
Among other reliefs, she is seeking an order of perpetual injunction restraining the defendant, his agents, proxies, or anyone acting on his behalf from further publication of the defamatory statements.
She is also demanding a retraction of the defamatory statements on the same platforms where they were made and an unreserved public apology published in at least two national newspapers, both in print and online, within seven days from the date of judgment.
In addition, she prayed the court to award
"the sum of N5 billion only, against the defendant being aggravated and exemplary damages in favour of the Claimant for the false, malicious and injurious statements that have since caused the claimant considerable distress, reputational harm, embarrassment, and emotional distress."
She is also seeking
"an order of this Honourable Court awarding post-judgment interest on the judgment sum awarded to the claimant at the rate of 10% per annum from the date of delivery of the judgment until the judgment debt is fully liquidated."
As at the time of this report, a date is yet to be fixed for the hearing of the case.
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