Shockwaves rippled through Nigeria’s political landscape after suspended Kogi Central Senator, Natasha Akpoti-Uduaghan, dragged her colleague, Senator Onyekachi Nwaebonyi, to court in a staggering N5 billion defamation lawsuit over claims she says were designed to destroy her reputation. The legal action, filed on April 5, 2025, at the High Court of the Federal Capital Territory, stems from statements Nwaebonyi made during a live broadcast on Channels Television’s Sunrise Daily programme on March 6, 2025.
Nwaebonyi, who currently represents Ebonyi North Central and serves as the Senate’s Deputy Chief Whip, allegedly accused Akpoti-Uduaghan of being a “gold digger,” a “habitual liar,” and claimed she had six children from different men. He also asserted that her husband, Chief Emmanuel Uduaghan, married her under duress. Akpoti-Uduaghan, through her legal team led by SAN M.J. Numa, described the allegations as baseless, malicious, and part of a calculated attempt to damage her public standing, especially while she remains under a controversial six-month suspension from the Senate.
The lawsuit, marked CV/1259/25, not only seeks financial compensation but also demands a public retraction and an unreserved apology from Nwaebonyi across the same media platforms, including two major national newspapers—both in print and online. She also prays for a perpetual injunction to bar further defamatory publications from Nwaebonyi or any of his associates.
Describing the fallout from the remarks as severe, Akpoti-Uduaghan told the court the damage went beyond political inconvenience—it struck at the core of her public identity, causing “considerable distress, reputational harm, embarrassment, and emotional trauma.” She accused Nwaebonyi of attempting to prejudice the public and the Senate’s Ethics Committee, of which he is a member, ahead of deliberations on her pending petition against her suspension.
This isn’t Akpoti-Uduaghan’s first brush with political turbulence. Known for her fearless criticism of corruption and power imbalances, she has often clashed with powerful figures. But this lawsuit marks a new phase in her battle, one that could set precedent for how defamatory attacks are handled within Nigeria’s political elite, especially when broadcast on national platforms and recycled on social media.
Beyond defending her personal dignity, Akpoti-Uduaghan said she is standing for every woman in Nigerian politics who has been bullied, maligned, or discredited for refusing to toe the line. “This isn’t just about me,” she told reporters outside the court. “It’s about ending the culture of reckless political slander and standing firm for truth, especially for women who dare to lead.”
As the nation awaits the court’s scheduling of a hearing date, the case has already stirred massive public interest, raising questions about internal Senate dynamics, gender bias in politics, and the consequences of unchecked political rhetoric aired on live television. Nwaebonyi has yet to issue an official response to the suit.
