Senator Natasha H. Akpoti-Uduaghan, representing Kogi Central, has reacted to a newly filed ₦200 billion defamation lawsuit instituted against her by the President of the Senate, Godswill Akpabio, describing it as an opportunity to finally present her side of an ongoing controversy involving allegations of sexual harassment.
In a statement released on Thursday, December 5, 2025, the senator confirmed that she had been formally notified of the suit, which she said revolves around her claims of sexual harassment against Akpabio. She expressed relief that the matter has now moved to the courts, after what she described as repeated attempts to block her from being heard within the Senate.
According to Akpoti-Uduaghan, the Senate Committee on Ethics and Privileges had earlier declined to grant her an audience on the matter, citing an existing defamation case filed against her by the Senate President’s wife. She said the committee maintained that it could not deliberate on an issue already before a court of law.
The senator further alleged that despite this position, Senate rules still required her to exhaust internal mechanisms by appearing before the Ethics Committee before seeking judicial redress — a situation she said left her trapped in a procedural stalemate. She also recalled that the same committee later recommended her suspension from the Senate, which she has described as unlawful.
“With this new suit, I now have the chance to prove how I was sexually harassed and how my refusal to give in to his demands allegedly triggered a series of unprovoked and unprecedented actions against me,” she stated.
Akpoti-Uduaghan said she is prepared to substantiate her claims in court and welcomed the legal confrontation, insisting that the truth would emerge through due process. She ended her statement by affirming her readiness for the court battle.
The Senate, Senator Akpabio, and his legal team are yet to issue a detailed public response to the latest statement. The case is expected to draw significant national attention, given its implications for legislative ethics, gender rights, and accountability within Nigeria’s highest lawmaking body.