The Federal High Court, Abuja, has fined Kogi Central Senator, Natasha Akpoti-Uduaghan, ₦5m for contempt.
Justice Binta Nyako, on Friday, found the lawmaker guilty of contempt over a satirical apology she posted on her Facebook page on April 27, 2025 to Senate President Godswill Akpabio.
While delivering judgment in the suit filed by Senator Akpoti-Uduaghan challenging her suspension, Justice Nyako began with the contempt application filed by the Senate President.
Akpabio, in his application, challenged the senator’s post on social media, arguing it violated an earlier court order restraining all parties from commenting to the media or making social media posts related to the case.
Akpoti-Uduaghan’s counsel argued that the post was not connected to the court’s order concerning her suspension but rather referred to a separate issue involving sexual harassment allegations against Akpabio.
However, Justice Nyako held that after reviewing the post and the application before her instituted by the third respondent (Akpabio), she was satisfied that it was linked to the suspension matter before the court and therefore found the plaintiff guilty of contempt.
The judge ordered Akpoti-Uduaghan to publish an apology in two national dailies and on her Facebook page within seven days. She also imposed a fine of ₦5 million.
Senator Akpoti-Uduaghan is also facing two separate cases of cybercrime and defamation in two separate courts in the nation’s capital.
Back Story
The protracted feud between Akpabio and Akpoti-Uduaghan reached a climax on Thursday, March 6, 2025, when the Senate wielded the big stick and suspended the Kogi Central Senator who accused the senate president of sexual harassment and abuse of office after a seat arrangement conflict on February 20, 2025.
Akpabio denied the sexual harassment allegations against him by the Kogi lawmaker.
The female senator also slammed a N100bn alleged defamation suit on him while the Akpabio-led upper legislative chamber referred her to the Senate disciplinary committee.
On Wednesday, March 5, 2025, the Senate committee dismissed Akpoti-Uduaghan’s sexual harassment and abuse of office petition against the senate president, declaring it “dead on arrival” based on procedural violations and legal constraints but the female senator re-submitted the petition on Thursday.
The seat row wasn’t the first between Akpabio and Akpoti-Uduaghan. In July 2024, the Senate President apologised to the female lawmaker over his nightclub comment against the female lawmaker.
