Senator Natasha Akpoti-Uduaghan (PDP, Kogi Central) has declared that she is now fully prepared to prove her sexual harassment allegations against the Senate President, Godswill Akpabio, in court. The senator made the statement on Friday after confirming receipt of a ₦200 billion defamation suit filed against her by the Senate President.
In her reaction, Akpoti-Uduaghan said the lawsuit has finally created the opportunity she had long been denied by the Senate Committee on Ethics and Privileges. According to her, the committee previously refused to hear her complaints, leaving her without an official platform to present her account. With the matter now in court, she said she would use the proceedings to lay out her evidence and show the public what she experienced.
The development marks a major escalation in the tense relationship between the two lawmakers and sets the stage for what many experts believe will be one of the most closely watched political and legal battles in recent Nigerian history.
In a statement issued shortly after receiving the court documents, Akpoti-Uduaghan said she intends to prove that she was sexually harassed and that her refusal to submit to the alleged advances triggered months of political attacks and personal hostility.
She stated that the Senate President’s lawsuit gives her a clear path to take the matter before a competent court, since the Senate’s internal processes had previously shut her out.
According to her, “the court case now provides the platform” she had been awaiting for months. She emphasised that she had made several attempts to bring her complaint formally before the Senate Committee on Ethics and Privileges, but these efforts went nowhere.
The senator has openly accused the Senate leadership of ignoring her claims and protecting the President of the Senate. She has repeatedly argued that her case is not just personal but symbolises the broader challenge women face within political institutions.
The defamation suit filed by Senate President Akpabio centres on allegations he says were fabricated and widely publicised by Senator Akpoti-Uduaghan. According to court filings from the High Court of the Federal Capital Territory (FCT), Akpabio is seeking ₦200 billion in damages, a comprehensive public retraction, and broadcast apologies across major television and radio stations in Nigeria.
The suit includes a detailed Statement of Claim outlining what the Senate President describes as “false, malicious and injurious” assertions. The documents allege that Akpoti-Uduaghan granted interviews on television, radio and online platforms in which she painted him as a powerful figure who used his office for sexual exploitation.
Akpabio argues that millions of Nigerians saw or listened to these allegations on social media, online news platforms, and other outlets, resulting in widespread criticism, public mockery and significant damage to his reputation. He describes the accusations as deeply humiliating and claims they were designed to tarnish his image.
Court records show that the legal battle had already begun quietly before it became public. On 6 November 2025, Justice U. P. Kekemeke of the FCT High Court granted an order allowing the claimant to serve court documents through the Clerk of the National Assembly. This was after bailiffs reportedly made several unsuccessful attempts to serve the senator directly.
With the substituted service now completed, the matter is expected to proceed to full hearing once both parties file their responses and legal teams complete preliminary exchanges.
The legal clash adds a new chapter to what has already been a turbulent relationship between the Senate President and Senator Akpoti-Uduaghan. Tensions have been building for months inside the 10th Senate, where Akpoti-Uduaghan has frequently accused the leadership of unfair treatment.
Her suspension earlier in the year remains one of the most controversial decisions of the Senate. In March 2025, she was suspended for six months after she protested the sudden relocation of her seat in the chamber. Akpoti-Uduaghan insisted that the action was meant to intimidate her, while Senate leadership claimed she had disrupted proceedings and breached parliamentary protocol.
During the suspension, her office was sealed and her staff were denied access. Even after the suspension formally ended in September, she claimed she still faced internal resistance and could not resume her duties immediately. Her office was eventually reopened after significant public attention and intervention by officials of the Sergeant-at-Arms.
Upon her return, Akpoti-Uduaghan said she had “no apology to tender,” insisting that attempts were being made to silence dissenting voices in the chamber. The statement further angered some members of the leadership and contributed to the strained atmosphere in the Senate.
The lawsuit has sparked intense public debate. Many Nigerians view the confrontation as more than a personal dispute, seeing it instead as a reflection of larger issues around gender, power, and transparency in public institutions. Women’s rights groups say allegations of sexual harassment must be taken seriously, especially when they involve senior government officials.
Some civil society organisations have also called for the trial to be conducted openly, arguing that the public deserves to know the truth given the seriousness of the claims. On the other hand, supporters of the Senate President say he is entitled to defend his reputation against harmful and unverified accusations.
With both sides preparing to bring forward witnesses, documents, and media evidence, the case is expected to attract national and international attention. Because the allegations touch on the character of the third highest-ranking officeholder in the country, legal experts say the proceedings will likely set a precedent for handling similar cases in the future.
For now, Senator Akpoti-Uduaghan says she is ready to present her evidence in court and finally tell her side of the story. Senate President Akpabio, in turn, insists he must clear his name from what he calls baseless and damaging allegations.