On 5 December 2025, Senator Natasha Akpoti-Uduaghan took to social media to claim that the President of the Senate, Distinguished Senator Godswill Akpabio, had only just filed a multi-billion-naira defamation suit against her over alleged sexual misconduct. The claims, however, are misleading and inaccurate.
According to Senator Akpabio’s media office, the suit was filed over three months ago, following Akpoti-Uduaghan’s unfounded allegations capable of causing severe reputational damage. The progress of the case was temporarily delayed by routine administrative and judicial procedures.
Several attempts by the court’s bailiff to serve Senator Akpoti-Uduaghan personally with the legal documents failed due to her alleged deliberate evasion, as stated under oath in the bailiff’s affidavit. The court, therefore, granted an application for substituted service in November 2025.
“Her claim that the matter was ‘just filed’ is false, misleading, and intended to distort public understanding of the case,” the statement noted.
The statement emphasized that legal disputes are resolved in courtrooms, not on social media. It also highlighted that Akpoti-Uduaghan’s behavior mirrors her pattern during a six-month Senate suspension, a lawful disciplinary measure she initially tried to delegitimize through social media agitation.
Senator Akpabio’s office urged Akpoti-Uduaghan to present any evidence she claims to have before a competent court, rather than relying on social media narratives designed to attract public sympathy.
“The law is guided by proof, procedure, and due process, not sentiment, emotion, or social-media theatrics,” the statement added. The public, media, and legal community now await her official defense against the defamatory claims of the plaintiff.
Jackson Udom is Special Assistant to the President of the Senate on Media.
