Senator Natasha Akpoti-Uduaghan (Kogi Central) has accused the Federal Government of political persecution and selective justice over criminal defamation charges filed against her.
In a preliminary objection submitted on Monday, the lawmaker asked the Federal High Court and the High Court of the Federal Capital Territory to dismiss the six-count charge brought by the Attorney-General of the Federation (AGF). She argued that the AGF lacked the legal authority to prosecute what she described as a private defamation matter.
The case, filed under the Cybercrimes (Prohibition, Prevention, etc.) (Amendment) Act, 2024, arose from petitions by Senate President Godswill Akpabio and former Kogi State governor Yahaya Bello over remarks the senator allegedly made at a public gathering in Ihima on April 4, 2025, and later during a television interview. Prosecutors claim her comments—accusing Akpabio of instructing Bello to have her killed—were false, malicious, and capable of inciting violence.
Akpoti-Uduaghan pleaded not guilty when she was arraigned on June 20 and was granted bail on self-recognition. The case is being prosecuted by the Director of Public Prosecutions of the Federation, Mohammed Abubakar.
Her defence team, led by four Senior Advocates of Nigeria—Prof. Roland Otaru, Dr. Ehiogie West-Idahosa, J.J. Usman, and M.J. Numa—insists the charges are “unconstitutional, frivolous and designed to intimidate opposition voices.” They argued that defamation should be treated as a civil matter, not a crime, and that prosecuting her statements violates democratic principles of free speech.
The senator further alleged double standards, noting that while her petitions against Akpabio and Bello over alleged threats to her life were ignored, the Federal Government acted swiftly on complaints against her. She claimed the disparity amounted to discriminatory prosecution under Section 42 of the Constitution, linked to her opposition political affiliation.
The court has adjourned the matter to October 20 to hear arguments on her objection.
Meanwhile, civil society organisations have escalated the dispute internationally. On Monday, the Womanifesto Network—a coalition of more than 350 women’s rights groups—petitioned the UN Special Rapporteur on Violence Against Women and Girls, accusing the Senate leadership of gender-based discrimination.
“This is about the integrity of our democracy. If a senator can be silenced for reporting harassment, what hope do ordinary women have?” asked Dr. Abiola Akiyode-Afolabi, the group’s convener.
The petition, signed by Amnesty International Nigeria, FIDA Nigeria, Baobab for Women’s Human Rights, WIMBIZ, and Stand to End Rape, urged the UN to press Nigeria to reinstate Akpoti-Uduaghan in line with a Federal High Court ruling and to initiate an impartial probe into her harassment allegations.
The lawmaker was suspended from the Senate for six months in March following a protest over her seat reassignment, a sanction she described as retaliatory after she accused Akpabio of harassment. Although the Federal High Court later ruled her suspension unconstitutional, the Senate has yet to allow her return, maintaining that the judgment is still subject to litigation.
As of press time, the UN Special Rapporteur’s office had not issued a response.
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