Senator Natasha Akpoti-Uduaghan, representing Kogi Central, has reaffirmed her commitment to pursuing her sexual harassment lawsuit against Senate President Godswill Akpabio to its legal conclusion.
In a letter dated April 30, 2025, addressed to Akpabio’s lawyer, Senior Advocate of Nigeria (SAN) Olisa Agbakoba, Akpoti-Uduaghan maintained that her allegations reflect the truth of the events she reported.
She stated that she would refrain from further public commentary and allow the court to determine the legitimacy and merits of the case.
The senator also took issue with Agbakoba’s reported call for her to substantiate her claims outside the ongoing legal process, noting that the matter is already before the High Court of the Federal Capital Territory.
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She referenced Suit No. CV/816/25, which involves a related complaint filed by Akpabio’s wife, Unoma Akpabio.
Akpoti-Uduaghan emphasised that it is now the court’s role—not the public’s—to adjudicate the propriety of her allegations and any counterclaims.
She noted: “The assessment of evidence belongs to the courts alone. The nature of your demand for evidence in this manner, in the instance of your client, simply indicates a broader misconception of what truly amounts to sexual harassment as prescribed in several global protocols.
“It underscores a narrow perspective of the nature of this global menace. It is in my respectful opinion that this is another attempt by your client to play to the gallery and relegate this matter yet again to the backwaters.
“Should further particulars be required, they will be furnished in the ordinary course of disclosure, subject to the direction of the Honourable Courts. Any attempt to circumvent that regulated process risks subverting the very rule-of-law values you have championed throughout your distinguished career.”
Natasha Akpoti-Uduaghan said it was irreconcilable that Akpabio now mounted a media campaign, allegedly through Agbakoba, demanding that she furnish proof in a domain he would not allow to be addressed by the Senate due to his privileged position.
“The principle is elementary: a litigant may not approbate in the courts and reprobate in the press. The rule against parallel adjudication safeguards the integrity of judicial determination, preserves the fairness of proceedings, and secures the dignity of all arms of government,” she stressed.
