Unending crises as 2 courts summon Akpabio, Nwaebonyi over Natasha’s sexual harassment allegations 

The face-off between Senator Na­tasha Akpoti-Uduaghan and the President of the Senate, Godswill Akpabio, has continued unabat­ed, as two High Courts of the Fed­eral Capital Territory (FCT) have separately summoned Akpabio.

 

Also summoned by the two courts is the Deputy Chief Whip of the Senate, Onyekachi Nwaebonyi, over alleged sexual harassment, defamation and breach of fundamental rights of Senator Akpoti-Uduaghan, reports Daily Independent.

 

Also to be served is Mr. Mfon Patrick, the senior legislative aide to the Senate President and the Clerk of the National Assembly, accordingly. ­

 

Akpoti-Uduaghan has asked the court to compel the aide to pay N100 billion in general dam­ages and N300 million in litigation costs.

 

While suit no FCT/HC/ CV/754/2025 of the Federal High Court, Abuja, presided by Justice Abubakar Idris Kutigi, leave was granted to Akpoti-Uduaghan to serve the writ of summons, suit no FCT/HC/CV/1359/25, consid­ered by Justice A.O. Otaluka of the Federal High Court, Abuja, leave was granted to Akpoti-Udu­aghan to serve the writ of sum­mons, accompanying processes and any other court processes by substituted means on Sen. Nwae­bonyi.

 

On the first suit, statement of claim and all other subse­quent court processes including hearing notices on the suit to the person of Akpabio and in his capacity as the Senate President was granted.

 

Also to be served is Mr. Mfon Patrick, the senior legislative aide to the Senate President and the Clerk of the National Assembly, accordingly.

 

Justice Kutigi who considered the motion NO: M/6603/2025 fixed 9th June, 2025 for report of service of summon.

 

However, the decision by Justice Otaluka followed the consideration of the motion ex parte dated 10th day of May 2025 brought pursuant to Order 9 Rule [1 (1) of the High Court of the Fed­eral Capital Territory Abuja, Civil Procedure Rules (2025).

 

The motion NO: M/5277/25 was supported by eight para­graph affidavit, a written address, and hearing Michael J. Numa (SAN), learned silk to Akpo­ti-Uduaghan.

 

Case was thereby adjourned to June 25, 2025, on the order of the judge.

 

Recall that Natasha Akpo­ti-Uduaghan, the suspended sen­ator representing Kogi Central, had filed a N5 billion defamation lawsuit against Nwaebonyi over claims that she bore six children for different men.

 

In the suit filed by her legal team led by M. J. Numa (SAN), Akpoti-Uduaghan described Nwaebonyi’s allegation as false and a calculated attempt to dam­age her reputation.

 

The Kogi senator informed the court that Senator Nwaebonyi, who represents Ebonyi North Central Senatorial District, had severely damaged her reputation, causing her significant emotional distress and subjecting her to pub­lic embarrassment and harm to her credibility.

 

Akpoti-Uduaghan told the court that Nwaebonyi made false and malicious statements about her during a televised interview on Channels TV’s ‘Sunrise Daily’ programme on March 6, 2025, where he de­scribed her as a “gold digger,” a “habitual liar,” and a “habitual blackmailer,” without any law­ful justification.

 

She told the court that in addi­tion to the claim about her having six children with different men, Senator Nwaebonyi also alleged that her husband, Chief Em­manuel Uduaghan, married her under duress.

 

Akpoti-Uduaghan further stat­ed that these statements, in their natural and ordinary meaning, were intended and understood to depict her as someone who extorts money through dishon­est and unscrupulous means as a profession.

 

Akpoti-Uduaghan told the court that the defendant inten­tionally made these defamatory statements, fully aware of their falsity, with the aim of discredit­ing her and justifying her illegal suspension by the Senate.

 

She further stated that the de­fendant, a member of the Senate Committee on Ethics, Code of Conduct, and Public Petitions of the 10th Senate, made these false and reckless remarks to in­fluence public opinion against her ongoing petition before the Senate.

 

As a result, Akpoti-Uduaghan currently serving a six-month suspension, among other re­quests, sought a court order for a perpetual injunction, restrain­ing the defendant, his associates, agents, and others from further publishing or causing the publica­tion of the defamatory statements or any other damaging words about her.

 

Natasha, who accused Ak­pabio of sexual harassment, claimed that his aide defamed her character.

 

Among other reliefs, she asked the court to compel the aide to pay N100 billion in general damages and N300 million in litigation costs.