By Kolawole Ojebisi
The legal team of suspended Kogi Central Senator, Natasha Akpoti-Uduaghan, has acknowledged receipt of formal summons filed against her by the Federal Government at the Federal Capital Territory High Court last week.
The acknowledgement was made in a statement issued on Friday night by Dr. Ehiogie West-Idahosa (SAN) on behalf of the embattled legislator’s legal team.
West-Idahosa promised that the team will prepare all “factual and statutory defences” available to the lawmaker during trial.
“At about 2:30pm on Friday, May 23, 2025, within the premises of the Federal Capital Territory High Court, Abuja, we received the information filed by the Director of Public Prosecutions, containing three counts alleging that our client, Senator Natasha Akpoti-Uduaghan of Kogi Central, made imputations she had reason to believe would harm the reputation of Senator Godswill Akpabio, President of the 10th Senate,” the statement read.
“We received the said information on her behalf through a letter of authority duly issued and filed in the court’s registry.
“The legal team will fully prepare and present all factual and statutory defences available to our client during the trial.” he added.
This comes a week after the Federal Government on Friday, May 16, 2025, filed the suit, marked CR/297/25, over alleged defamatory remarks made during Akpoti-Uduaghan’s live appearance on Channels Television’s Politics Today on April 3, 2025.
In the suit, the government accused the senator of “making imputation knowing or having reason to believe that such imputation will harm the reputation of a person”,
The Federal Government cited Section 391 of the Penal Code, cap 89, Laws of the Federation, 1990 to buttress its claim.
Among the witnesses listed to testify during the trial were Senate President, Godswill Akpabio, and a former governor of Kogi State, Yahaya Bello.
Others include Asuquo Ekpenyong, a senator; Sandra Duru; Maya Iliya, investigating police officers; and Abdulhafiz Garba, investigating police officers.
Recall that Akpoti-Uduaghan was involved in an altercation with Senate President, Godswill Akpabio, over a seating arrangement.
The Kogi lawmaker was consequently suspended from the Red Chamber by the Senate disciplinary committee for “gross misconduct” in March.
She would later accuse Akpabio of being against her for turning down his sexual advances.
Akpoti-Uduaghan also accused Akpabio of plotting to assassinate her in collaboration with former Kogi State governor, Yahaya Bello.
She maintained that the assassination plot would be hatched outside Abuja, in a way that would make it appear like a mob or local attack.
Meanwhile in April, Akpabio petitioned the Inspector-General of Police, Kayode Egbetokun, over the assassination allegation made against him by Akpoti-Uduaghan.
He called for an immediate investigation and prosecution of the senator under relevant laws for “criminal defamation, incitement, false accusation, and conduct likely to cause a breach of peace.”
Former Kogi governor, Yahaya Bello, had also petitioned the IGP over Natasha’s claims, alleging that he was behind the move to recall her from the Senate.
