Suspended Senator representing Kogi Central, Natasha Akpoti-Uduaghan, on Friday denied allegations that she breached a court order restricting her from speaking publicly or posting about her sexual harassment claims against Senate President Godswill Akpabio.
Akpoti-Uduaghan was responding to a fresh legal action filed by Akpabio, who demanded she apologize for what he termed a sarcastic apology shared via social media. On April 27, she posted a video on Facebook in which she mockingly apologized to the Senate President, saying her only regret was not letting him “have his way” with her. In the video, she said she was “sorry for the crime of maintaining dignity and self-respect.”
Akpabio’s lawyer, Kehinde Ogunwumiju, SAN, filed a motion asking the Federal High Court in Abuja to compel Akpoti-Uduaghan to delete the video, arguing it violated the court’s gag order. The legal team also requested that all related content be removed from her social media accounts.
In response, Akpoti-Uduaghan submitted a counter-affidavit denying any wrongdoing. She argued that her Facebook post did not breach the court order and did not reference the ongoing legal matter. She described the video as “political satire” protected under Section 39(1) of the Nigerian Constitution, which guarantees freedom of expression.
She stated:
The post does not mention the current legal action or any sub judice matter. It critiques patriarchal norms in the legislature and does not prejudice the proceedings. No evidence of such prejudice has been provided.
Meanwhile, on May 4, 2025, Mr. Monday Ubani, SAN, counsel to the applicant, made a Facebook post commenting directly on this case and attacking me personally.
She concluded that the fresh motion was an attempt to silence and intimidate her for exercising her constitutional rights.