The senator representing Kogi Central, Natasha Akpoti-Uduaghan, has urged the wife of Senate President Godswill Akpabio, Mrs. Ekaette Unoma Akpabio, to keep away from the controversy surrounding allegations of sexual harassment and intimidation against her husband.
Trouble started between Natasha and Akpabio when she protested against a sitting arrangement during a senate session, citing Order 10 of the Senate Standing Rules.
On Friday, she appeared on Arise News alleging that Akpabio had been blocking her motions, maligning her and intimidating her after she allegedly rejected his sexual advances.
Reacting at a press conference in Abuja on Friday, Mrs. Akpabio dismissed the allegations, saying both families had shared a long-standing cordial relationship, even before Akpoti-Uduaghan’s marriage, and described the accusations as baseless.
But in a letter dated March 1, 2025 addressed to Mrs. Akpabio through her lawyer, Victor Giwa, Akpoti-Uduaghan cautioned her against involvement in the matter.
She said she had enough evidence to support her claims, and urged Mrs. Akpabio to allow her husband to defend himself rather than intervening.
“Our client has concrete evidence to substantiate her allegations. We suggest that you leave the defense of these allegations to the Senate President to maintain your sanity and that of your family,” the letter said, reaffirming her commitment to advocate for Nigerian women, stressing that, as a family woman, she remained dedicated to upholding family values and principles.
Meanwhile, the wife of the senate president has filed two lawsuits against Senator Natasha Akpoti-Uduaghan, accusing her of defamation and violating her fundamental rights.
She is seeking ₦250 billion in damages, along with an additional ₦1 billion in legal charges.
The suits, filed before the High Court of the Federal Capital Territory, Abuja, stem from sexual harassment allegations made by Akpoti-Uduaghan during an interview on Arise News on Friday.
In the fundamental rights suit (Suit No: CV/814/25), Mrs. Akpabio argues that Natasha Akpoti-Uduaghan’s statements on February 20, 2025, and during the television interview amount to a “flagrant violation” of her fundamental rights as guaranteed by the Nigerian Constitution and the African Charter on Human and Peoples’ Rights.
Citing Section 34(1)(a) of the 1999 Constitution (as amended), Akpabio is seeking multiple legal remedies, including: “A declaration that the senator’s remarks violated her fundamental rights and subjected her and her children to emotional and psychological distress and a perpetual injunction restraining Akpoti-Uduaghan from making further scandalous and defamatory statements against her.
“₦250 billion in damages for what she describes as exemplary, punitive, aggravated, and general damages suffered as a result of the senator’s statements.
Additionally, in a separate defamation lawsuit (Suit No: CV/816/25), the Senate President’s wife challenges the claims made by Akpoti-Uduaghan, asserting that they have caused irreparable damage to her reputation and that of her family.
She argues that these allegations, made on national television, had “tarnished her family’s reputation and brought them into disrepute and opprobrium.”
The allegations have since sparked a nationwide debate, drawing widespread attention and mixed reactions.
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