Senate President, Godswill Akpabio, has dismissed claims that he recently instituted a ₦200 billion defamation suit against Senator Natasha Akpoti-Uduaghan, insisting that the case was filed over three months ago and not a fresh legal action as widely reported.
In a statement issued on Saturday, through his media aide, Jackson Udom, Akpabio accused the Kogi Central senator of deliberately misrepresenting the timeline of the lawsuit in her December 5, 2025, social media posts.
Titled “Setting the Record Straight on the Defamation Case Involving Senator Natasha Akpoti-Uduaghan,” the statement said the suit had been in court for months but was delayed by routine administrative and judicial processes, including difficulties encountered in serving court documents on the defendant.
According to Akpabio’s office, several attempts by the court bailiff to personally serve Akpoti-Uduaghan with the originating processes were unsuccessful. An affidavit was subsequently filed, alleging that the senator deliberately evaded service, prompting the court to grant an application for substituted service in November 2025.
“The case was not freshly filed as being claimed. It was instituted more than three months ago and has followed due legal processes,” the statement said.
Akpabio further stressed that legal disputes should be resolved in court rather than on social media, urging Akpoti-Uduaghan to present any evidence she claims to have before a competent court of law.
The statement also accused the Kogi lawmaker of attempting to undermine lawful procedures, referencing her six-month suspension from the Senate as part of what it described as a pattern of seeking to delegitimise established processes.
“The judiciary is governed by proof, procedure and due process, not emotions or social-media theatrics,” the statement added.
While the specific statements that informed the ₦200 billion defamation claim were not detailed, Akpabio’s office noted that the allegations had never been substantiated before any Senate committee or competent authority.
The Senate President’s media aide concluded that the public, media and legal community now await Akpoti-Uduaghan’s formal response in court, as proceedings are expected to advance following the grant of substituted service in November 2025.