Akpabio’s Aide Dismisses Natasha’s Claims

The Office of the President of the Senate has dismissed claims by Senator Natasha Akpoti-Uduaghan that the multi-billion-naira defamation suit filed against her by Senate President Godswill Akpabio was only recently instituted, describing the assertion as “incorrect and misleading.”

In a statement issued to journalists yesterday in Abuja, Jackson Udom, Special Assistant on Media to the Senate President, said Senator Akpoti-Uduaghan had “again resorted to social media” on 5 December 2025 to suggest that Akpabio had just initiated legal action over allegations she made accusing him of sexual misconduct.
Udom maintained that the allegations — which Senator Akpabio has consistently denied — were never substantiated before the Senate Committee or any other competent authority.
He clarified that the defamation suit “was filed over three months ago,” noting that progress in the matter had been temporarily slowed by routine administrative and judicial processes.

He further alleged that repeated attempts by the court’s bailiff to serve Senator Akpoti-Uduaghan with the originating processes proved unsuccessful due to what he described as her “deliberate evasion of service,” a claim supported by an affidavit before the court.

The court, he said, subsequently granted substituted service in November.

“Her claim that the matter was ‘just filed’ is therefore false, misleading, and intended to distort public understanding of the case,” Udom stated.

He criticised what he described as the senator’s reliance on “orchestrated narratives and staged outrage on social media,” insisting that legal matters should be addressed within the judicial system rather than online platforms.

Udom also referenced her earlier challenge to her six-month suspension from the Senate, which he said she sought to delegitimise on social media but ultimately served in full as a lawful disciplinary action.

He urged Senator Akpoti-Uduaghan to come before the court with any evidence she claims to possess, stressing that “the law is guided by proof, procedure, and due process — not sentiment, not emotion, and certainly not social-media theatrics.”

According to him, the public and legal community await her formal defence as the case progresses.