By Kolawole Ojebisi
Natasha Akpoti-Uduaghan, senator representing Kogi central, has initiated a N5 billion suit against her colleague, Onyekachi Nwaebonyi, over alleged defamation.
The suit was filed by Akpoti-Uduaghan through her lawyer, Michael Jonathan Numa, at the federal capital territory high court.
The suspended lawmaker, in the suit, is asking the court to declare that the statements made by Nwaebonyi, senator representing Ebonyi north, during an interview on Channels Television on March 6, 2025, as false and malicious.
While highlighting the offensive words, Akpoti-Uduaghan said the Ebonyi senator labelled her a “gold digger, habitual liar, and habitual blackmailer” during the interview.
The Kogi senator asked the court to rule that the comments claiming that she is “a mother of six from different men” is false, malicious, and defamatory.
She said Nwaebonyi’s statements had caused significant harm to her reputation and embarrassment in the eyes of the public.
Akpoti-Uduaghan prayed the court to restrain Nwaebonyi from making any further maliciousy comments against her.
She asked the court to rule that Nwaebonyi pays the sum of N5 billion as “aggravated and exemplary damages in favour of the claimant for the false, malicious and injurious statement”.
“An order of perpetual injunction restraining the Defendant, his associates, agents, assignees, servants, privies, proxies, allies or any one called from further publishing or causing to be published the words complained of or any other defamatory words concerning the Claimant,” the court documents read.
“An order of this Honourable Court compelling the Defendant to retract the defamatory words on the same platforms used to make the defamatory publications and tender an unreserved apology in at least two national newspapers electronically and vide print media circulated nationwide within 7 days from the day of the delivery of the judgment of this Honourable Court.
“An order of this Honourable Court awarding the sum of N5 billion only, against the Defendant being aggravated and exemplary damages in favour of the Claimant for the false, malicious and injurious statements that have since caused the Claimant considerable distress, reputational harm, embarrassment, and emotional distress.
“An order of this Honourable Court awarding post-judgment interest on the judgment sum awarded to the Claimant at the rate of 10% per annum from the date of delivery of the judgment until the judgment debt is fully liquidated.
“The defendant’s characterization of the claimant as a ‘mother of six from different men’ is baseless, malicious, and indeed reckless.
“The claimant is an inspiration to women in politics and aspiring women for speaking truth to power.
“The claimant is not spoiling the chance of women in politics as falsely alleged, rather she is inspiring women to be bold in their quest for politics and good governance.”
Amid the altercation between Akpoti-Uduaghan and Senate President Godswill Akpabio, the Ebonyi senator has been granting media interviews to defend the latter.
Meanwhile, the court has restrained all parties in the litigation involving the suspended Kogi lawmaker and Senate President Godswill Akpabio from granting press interviews stressing that the case is already sub judice.
