Senate President Godswill Akpabio has refuted suggestions that he recently instituted fresh legal action against Senator Natasha Akpoti-Uduaghan, stressing that no new charges have been filed.
In a statement released by his Special Assistant on Media, Jackson Udom, Akpabio described the circulating reports as inaccurate and intended to mislead the public.
According to Udom, the narrative that the Senate President had “just filed” a ₦200bn lawsuit is entirely incorrect. He explained that “Her claim that the matter was ‘just filed’ is therefore false, misleading, and intended to distort public understanding of the case.”
Udom clarified that the case in question was initiated over three months ago but experienced temporary delays due to normal administrative and judicial processes. He noted that efforts to personally serve Senator Akpoti-Uduaghan with the originating court documents were unsuccessful, describing multiple failed attempts by the court’s bailiff.
The statement added that “Each attempt failed due to her deliberate evasion of service, as deposed to under oath in the bailiff’s affidavit now before the court. Only after these repeated evasions did the court, in November this year, grant the application for substituted service.”
Akpabio maintained that ongoing attempts to portray the matter as newly filed were part of an orchestrated tactic aimed at influencing public perception. He emphasised that disputes should be addressed strictly through legal channels rather than through online campaigns.
He argued that “legal disputes are resolved in courtrooms, not through orchestrated narratives and staged outrage on social-media platforms,” noting that online support could never replace due process or verifiable evidence.
Highlighting what he considered a recurring pattern, Akpabio referenced Senator Akpoti-Uduaghan’s earlier suspension from the Senate, saying she attempted to delegitimise the disciplinary action through digital mobilisation but ultimately completed the six-month penalty.
He insisted that rather than depending on public sympathy, the senator should present whatever evidence she claims to possess before a competent court. As the statement put it, “The law is guided by proof, procedure, and due process, not sentiment, not emotion, and certainly not social-media theatrics.”
Akpabio advised Senator Akpoti-Uduaghan to instruct her legal team accordingly, file her defence, and substantiate the allegations she has repeatedly made regarding the matter.
What You Should Know
Godswill Akpabio’s latest clarification centres on correcting what he describes as misinformation regarding a ₦200bn lawsuit involving Senator Natasha Akpoti-Uduaghan.
While the senator suggested the case was newly filed, Akpabio insists the suit has been in progress for months and only slowed due to administrative procedures and alleged evasions of service. The Senate President frames the issue as one rooted in legal due process rather than online controversy, urging that the dispute be handled in court.
This episode unfolds against a backdrop of earlier political tensions between both lawmakers, keeping public attention firmly fixed on the case.
