Mrs. Unoma Godswill Akpabio, wife of the Senate President, has filed multiple lawsuits against Senator Natasha Akpoti-Uduaghan over allegations of sexual harassment leveled against her husband.
The lawsuits, filed at the Federal Capital Territory (FCT) High Court, include a fundamental rights suit and a defamation suit, with Mrs. Akpabio seeking N250 billion in damages.
Senator Akpoti-Uduaghan had accused Senate President Godswill Akpabio of victimizing her in the Senate after she allegedly refused his sexual advances. She claimed that Akpabio made repeated overtures toward her, even in the presence of her husband. However, Mrs. Akpabio dismissed these allegations, accusing the senator of fabricating lies for personal gain.
At a press conference, Mrs. Akpabio announced her decision to take legal action against Akpoti-Uduaghan.
In the fundamental rights suit (Suit No: CV/814/25), Mrs. Akpabio argues that the allegations made by the senator—both on the Senate floor on February 20, 2025, and during an interview on Arise News TV—violate her fundamental rights. She is seeking:
A declaration that the senator’s allegations amount to a violation of her fundamental rights under Nigerian law and the African Charter on Human and Peoples’ Rights.
A perpetual injunction restraining Akpoti-Uduaghan from making further statements that could cause emotional or psychological harm to her and her children.
N250 billion in damages for the alleged infringement of her fundamental rights.
In a separate defamation lawsuit (Suit No: CV/816/25), Mrs. Akpabio is also demanding:
A declaration that the senator’s claims about Akpabio’s alleged sexual advances have damaged her family’s reputation.
A formal written retraction and an unconditional apology, to be published in The Guardian and This Day newspapers.
N1 billion in punitive and exemplary damages.
A perpetual injunction preventing the senator from making further defamatory statements against her family.
The lawsuits mark an escalation in the public dispute between the two female politicians, as the legal battle over the allegations unfolds.
