Suspended Senator representing Kogi Central, Natasha Akpoti-Uduaghan has asked the Federal High Court in Abuja to throw out a suit filed by Senate President Godswill Akpabio.
In the suit, Akpabio urged the court to compel Senator Natasha to take down a satirical post she made on Facebook, which he claimed is defamatory.
He also demanded that she publicly apologize for the post, arguing that it has damaged his reputation.
The senator’s post, shared on 27 April, used satire to express her frustration over her suspension and took a swipe at Mr Akpabio’s leadership.
The dispute began after Justice Binta Nyako, who is now handling the case, directed both parties not to speak publicly about the matter.
The order, given on 4 April, specifically warned against media interviews, online commentary, and public discussions relating to the ongoing case, especially the allegation of sexual harassment that was mentioned before the suspension.
Despite that order, Mrs Akpoti-Uduaghan posted what she called an “apology” on Facebook.
In it, she sarcastically “apologised” for standing her ground and suggested that Senate success under Mr Akpabio depended more on pleasing him than actual performance.
The post went viral and sparked mixed reactions online.
Mr Akpabio’s lawyers claimed that her post defied the court order and are asking the court to compel her to remove it from all social media platforms.
They also want her to publish an official apology in two national newspapers and submit proof to the court.
But in her response, Mrs Akpoti-Uduaghan insisted she did nothing wrong.
Her legal team argued that the post was not a violation of the court’s instruction but rather a form of protest.
They said the motion against her is an attempt to silence her and punish her for speaking out and should be dismissed.
The court will return to the case on 12 May, when it is expected to hear arguments on whether the Facebook post should be removed and if the suspended senator must issue an official apology.
