Court showdown looms as Akpoti-Uduaghan refuses to back down on harassment claims
On Thursday, May 1, a serious disagreement took a dramatic turn as suspended Kogi Central Senator, Natasha Akpoti-Uduaghan, firmly declared she will only present evidence of sexual harassment against Senate President Godswill Akpabio in a court of law—not in the media.
This statement came after Olisa Agbakoba, a Senior Advocate of Nigeria (SAN) and lawyer for Akpabio, sent two formal letters requesting that Natasha retract her allegation, calling it baseless. The first letter was dated April 14, and the second followed after no response.
At a press briefing in Lagos, Agbakoba pointed out what he called “serious contradictions” in Natasha’s claims, noting that she praised Akpabio on social media just one day after the alleged harassment on December 8, 2023.
But Natasha hit back hard. She said she never received the letters and accused Akpabio’s legal team of running a “coordinated media campaign” against her, while blocking a Senate inquiry into the matter by claiming the case was already in court.
In her official response, Natasha said:
“The assessment of evidence belongs to the courts alone… Should further particulars be required, they will be furnished in the ordinary course of disclosure, subject to the direction of the Honourable Courts.“
She insisted she would not be pressured into revealing details publicly and stood by her official complaint, which was filed on February 28. She also announced plans to seek justice both in Nigeria and internationally.
