THE SENATOR representing Kogi Central Natasha Akpoti-Uduaghan has revealed she had been served with a fresh N200 billion defamation suit instituted against her by Senate President Godswill Akpabio over allegations of sexual harassment.
In a post on her Facebook page on Friday, December 5, the lawmaker said she received a court order granting Akpabio permission to serve her the suit through substituted means.
A copy of the court document, dated November 6, 2025, and issued by the Federal Capital Territory High Court, shows that a justice of the court, U.P. Kekemeke granted the claimant, Akpabio, leave to serve the originating processes on Akpoti-Uduaghan via the Clerk of the National Assembly.
The court ruled that this mode of service was “good and proper service.”
Reacting to the development, Akpoti-Uduaghan said she welcomed the lawsuit, noting that previous institutional processes within the Senate blocked her from presenting her petition of sexual harassment against Akpabio.
“Today being the 5th day of December, 2025, I’m in receipt of the newly instituted 200 billion naira suit against me by Senator Godswill Akpabio claiming defamation on sexual harassment,” she wrote.
She said the Senate Committee on Ethics and Privileges declined to hear her complaint, citing an earlier civil suit filed by Akpabio’s wife.
“Now, I am glad that Sen. Akpabio has brought this up because the Senate Committee on Ethics and Privileges failed to grant me audience in this issue relying on the fact that Godswill Akpabio’s wife had instituted a defamatory case against me. Therefore they couldn’t attend to a matter already in court.
“Albeit I couldn’t proceed to court because by Senate rules, I must still present my case before the Ethics committee (same committee that recommended my illegal suspension),” she said.
The Kogi senator declared that the new lawsuit provided her an opportunity to present her allegations before an impartial forum.
“Alas, I now have a chance to prove how I was sexually harassed and how my refusal to give into his demands unleashed series of unprovoked and unprecedented attacks on my person,” she added.
The ICIR reports that the recent development renewed months of tension between the two senators, which intensified after Akpoti-Uduaghan publicly accused the Senate President of sexual misconduct and political victimisation.
The Kogi senator, in an interview on Arise Television, accused Akpabio of making repeated sexual advances toward her, which she said she rejected.
She alleged that her refusal was the reason behind their frequent clashes at plenary sessions.
According to her, some of Akpabio’s love proposals were made with her on the phone and face-to-face in her husband’s presence. She further alleged that she had all the evidence for her claims.
Although the Kogi senator, on Wednesday, March 5, submitted an official petition regarding the sexual harassment and abuse of office by Akpabio, the Ethics Committee threw out the petition, citing key procedural oversights that allegedly undermined the petition’s legitimate.
Akpoti-Uduaghan, however, resubmitted the petition, shortly before her suspension.
Akpabio has consistently dismissed the allegations.
Mustapha Usman is an investigative journalist with the International Centre for Investigative Reporting. You can easily reach him via: musman@icirnigeria.com. He tweets @UsmanMustapha_M