Senate President Godswill Akpabio has instituted a new N200 billion defamation lawsuit against Senator Natasha Akpoti-Uduaghan of Kogi Central, escalating the long-running dispute between both lawmakers.
Akpoti-Uduaghan revealed the development on Friday through her Facebook page, where she shared the court documents filed at the High Court of the Federal Capital Territory with suit number FCT/HC/CV/3356/2025 before Justice U. P. Kekemeke.
In the suit, Akpabio accused the senator of making “false, malicious, and injurious” statements that allegedly portrayed him as a “sexual predator” and subjected him to “public hatred, contempt, and ridicule.”
He is seeking N200bn in damages, a public retraction, and nationwide broadcast apologies.
The court had earlier granted an order for substituted service on November 6 after bailiffs were unable to serve Akpoti-Uduaghan personally. The documents were later delivered through the Clerk of the National Assembly.
Reacting, Akpoti-Uduaghan confirmed receipt of the lawsuit, saying she was ready for a full trial. She stated that the development finally gives her an opportunity to present her case before the Senate Committee on Ethics and Privileges, which previously declined to hear her complaint.
She alleged that her claims of sexual harassment and the fallout from her refusal to comply with alleged demands resulted in persistent attacks on her. “Now I have a chance to prove everything. See you in court, Godswill Akpabio,” she wrote.
The renewed legal battle has intensified public debate over the leadership crisis in the 10th Senate, marking one of the most dramatic confrontations between a Senate President and a sitting senator in recent years.
Blueprint.ng recalls that Akpoti-Uduaghan was suspended for six months in March 2025 after protesting the relocation of her seat during plenary.
Although her suspension expired in September, she faced delays returning to her office, which was sealed until it was reopened by the Sergeant-at-Arms.
Despite the tensions, she resumed her duties, insisting she had “no apology to tender” and accusing Senate leadership of attempts to suppress dissent.
