THE suspended senator representing Kogi Central Senatorial District, Natasha Akpoti-Uduaghan, will appear in court on Tuesday, June 3.
This was confirmed by her lead counsel, West Idahosa, a senior advocate, on Sunday, June 1.
Recall that the Federal Government, through the Director of Public Prosecutions, Mohammed Abubakar, filed criminal charges against Akpoti-Uduaghan, accusing her of making defamatory remarks during a live television broadcast and in a private telephone conversation targeting the President of the Senate, Godswill Akpabio, and former Kogi State Governor, Yahaya Bello
According to the charge filed on May 16, at the Federal Capital Territory High Court, with case number CR/297/25, Akpoti-Uduaghan is accused of making a statement during her appearance on Politics Today on Channels TV on April 3, 2025, in which she was said to have remarked that Akpabio and Bello conspired to assassinate her.
The government also accused Akpoti-Uduaghan of making defamatory statements during a telephone conversation on March 27, 2025.
In his Sunday update, Idahosa expressed uncertainty about whether the Federal Government intended to arraign his client on Tuesday, noting that whatever the Federal Government planned, the female lawmaker would comply with the court’s order, as a law-abiding citizen.
“We saw a notice of amended charges. We don’t know what they are trying to do. They’ve amended the charges once and could do so again. It’s their decision,” said Idahosa.
Akpabio, Bello, and four others have been named as key witnesses in the trial.
The ICIR reported that the case comes amid mixed feelings surrounding Akpoti-Uduaghan, who was suspended from the Senate earlier this year. Her suspension sparked widespread criticisms and allegations of political persecution.
Akpoti-Uduaghan had accused Akpabio of targeting her after she rejected his alleged sexual advances, claiming that her suspension was orchestrated to silence her.
She made the allegations after she refused to accept a new seating arrangement in the Senate Chamber that led to Akpabio ordering the sergeant-at-arms to eject her from the chamber.
She is challenging her suspension at the Federal High Court, where the hearing has been scheduled for June 27.
Nanji is an investigative journalist with the ICIR. She has years of experience in reporting and broadcasting human angle stories, gender inequalities, minority stories, and human rights issues.