Senator Natasha Akpoti-Uduaghan, representing Kogi Central, has initiated a N5 billion lawsuit against Senator Onyekachi Nwaebonyi of Ebonyi North Central Senatorial District, citing alleged defamation.
The lawsuit, filed at the Federal Capital Territory High Court in Abuja through her lawyer, Michael Numa, seeks a declaration that statements made by Nwaebonyi during a Channels Television interview on March 6, 2025, are false and malicious.
According to the suit, Akpoti-Uduaghan claims that Nwaebonyi referred to her as a “gold digger, habitual liar, and habitual blackmailer” during the interview.
Among other demands, she is asking the court to declare as untrue, malicious, and defamatory the claims allegedly made by her colleague that she is a mother of six children from different fathers.
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She argues that such remarks damage her standing as a role model for women aspiring to enter politics.
“The defendant’s characterisation of the claimant as a ‘mother of six from different men’ is baseless, malicious, and reckless,” the suit asserts.
“The claimant is an inspiration to women in politics and aspiring women for speaking truth to power. The claimant is not tarnishing the chances of women in politics as falsely alleged. Rather, she is inspiring women to be bold in their pursuit of political aspirations and good governance.”
Akpoti-Uduaghan contends in the lawsuit that Nwaebonyi’s statements have significantly harmed her reputation and caused her public humiliation.
The Kogi senator is seeking a court order to prevent Nwaebonyi from making further harmful statements against her.
In addition, she is requesting the court to order Nwaebonyi to pay N5 billion in aggravated and exemplary damages for the false, malicious, and damaging statements.
She also wants the court to compel Nwaebonyi to retract the defamatory statements on the same platform where they were originally made and to issue a sincere apology.
The court filing requests “an order of perpetual injunction restraining the defendant, his associates, agents, assignees, servants, privies, proxies, allies, or anyone acting on his behalf from further publishing or causing to be published the words complained of, or any other defamatory statements concerning the claimant.”
The document further requests “an order of this Honourable Court compelling the defendant to retract the defamatory statements on the same platforms used to make the allegations and to tender an unreserved apology in at least two national newspapers, both in print and online, circulated nationwide, within seven days from the date of judgment.”
It also calls for “an order of this Honourable Court awarding the sum of £5 billion as aggravated and exemplary damages in favour of the claimant for the false, malicious, and injurious statements that have caused the claimant considerable distress, reputational harm, embarrassment, and emotional distress.”
Finally, she is seeking “an order of this Honourable Court awarding post-judgment interest on the judgment sum at a rate of 10% per annum from the date of delivery of the judgment until the judgment debt is fully paid.”
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