Abuja, FCT — A High Court sitting in the Federal Capital Territory has granted an order for substituted service in the ongoing ₦100 billion defamation lawsuit filed by Senator Natasha Akpoti-Uduaghan against Senate President Godswill Akpabio.
The court’s decision came after Akpabio failed to appear in court on May 7, 2025, prompting legal counsel to the suspended Kogi Central senator, Barrister Victor Giwa, to seek leave for alternative service.
Presiding over the matter, Justice Idris Kutigi approved the request, directing that the legal documents be served through the Clerk to the National Assembly, thereby ensuring the Senate President is formally notified of the proceedings.
Senator Akpoti-Uduaghan filed the civil action—Suit No. FCT/HC/CV/754/2025—alleging that statements attributed to Senator Akpabio were defamatory, malicious, and intended to tarnish her reputation. The lawsuit seeks ₦100 billion in damages for the alleged harm caused to her personal and political image.
Speaking through her legal team, Akpoti-Uduaghan has maintained that the comments at the center of the case were not only unfounded but aimed at undermining her integrity in the eyes of the public and her constituents.
With the case now officially served, proceedings are set to resume on June 9, 2025, as legal analysts await the Senate President’s formal response and the broader implications the case may hold for free speech, political accountability, and the scope of legislative commentary in Nigeria’s democratic process.
By Enoch Odesola| June 4, 2025
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