The suspended senator representing Kogi Central, Natasha Akpoti-Uduaghan, has filed a N5bn suit against her colleague, Senator Onyekachi Nwaebonyi, who represents the Ebonyi North Central Senatorial District, over alleged defamation.
The suit, filed by Akpoti-Uduaghan through her lawyer, Michael Numa, at the Federal Capital Territory High Court in Abuja, seeks to declare as false and malicious, the statements made by Nwaebonyi during an interview on Channels Television on March 6, 2025.
Akpoti-Uduaghan said Nwaebonyi described her as a “gold digger, habitual liar, and habitual blackmailer” during the interview.
Among others, she prayed the court to declare as “false, malicious, and defamatory” Nwaebonyi’s claims that she is a mother of six children from different men.
She noted that such remarks undermine her reputation 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 states.
“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, in the suit, contended that Nwaebonyi’s statements had embarassed her and caused significant harm to her reputation.
She is urging the court to make an order restraining Nwaebonyi from making further malicious statements against her.
Additionally, she asked the court to direct Nwaebonyi to pay N5bn in aggravated and exemplary damages for the false, malicious, and injurious statements made against her.
She seeks “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.”
