The wife of Nigeria’s Senate President, Unoma Godswill Akpabio, has announced a legal proceedings against Senator Natasha Akpoti-Uduaghan, in which she seeks an a N251 billion in damages over allegedly false claims of sexual harassment.
The lawsuits follow accusations made by Akpoti-Uduaghan that Senate President Godswill Akpabio harassed her and retaliated after she rebuffed his supposed advances.
Mrs. Akpabio’s first legal battle, classified as a fundamental rights suit (Suit No: CV/814/25) and filed at the High Court of the Federal Capital Territory (FCT), Abuja, asserts that the allegations have inflicted severe psychological and emotional distress on her and her children. “I seek a declaration that these allegations… constitute a flagrant violation of my fundamental rights,” she stated in her court documents, calling for a perpetual injunction to prevent further damaging comments from the respondent. She has requested N250 billion in damages.
The second case (Suit No: CV/816/25) addresses claims of defamation, as Mrs. Akpabio contends that Akpoti-Uduaghan’s statements have disparaged her family’s reputation. “The assertion that my husband made sexual advances toward the defendant, without any evidence, has brought shame upon my family,” she said in her filings. In this suit, she demands a formal retraction, a public apology in two prominent national newspapers, and N1 billion in damages.
Senator Akpoti-Uduaghan, who alleged that Senate President Akpabio leveraged his position to undermine her in the Senate following her rejection of his advances, originally raised these claims during a Senate session and subsequently reiterated them in a television interview, igniting a firestorm of debate.
In response, Mrs. Akpabio strongly refuted the allegations during a recent press briefing with Arise TV on Friday. “These claims are completely unfounded and clearly intended to tarnish my husband’s reputation. I will not remain silent while my family is subjected to such baseless accusations,” she declared.
