Natasha Vs Akpabio: Kogi Senator Storms Court Again as Details Emerge
- Senator Natasha Akpoti-Uduaghan approached the Federal High Court in Abuja seeking dismissal of a six-count charge filed against her by the Federal Government
- She described the case as an abuse of prosecutorial power and a political move to shield Senate President Godswill Akpabio and ex-Governor Yahaya Bello from scrutiny
- Her motion argued that the prosecution lacked public interest and misused state resources to settle personal and political scores
The Senator representing Kogi Central, Natasha Akpoti-Uduaghan, has once again approached the Federal High Court in Abuja, asking for the dismissal of a six-count charge brought against her by the Federal Government of Nigeria.
Senator Akpoti-Uduaghan described the charges as “an abuse of prosecutorial power” and “a violation of due process.”
Source: Twitter
She further alleged that the prosecution was a politically motivated attempt to protect the Senate President, Godswill Akpabio, and former Kogi State Governor, Yahaya Bello, from public scrutiny.
“This is not about justice. It is about silencing me and shielding certain individuals from accountability," she said in her affidavit
Charges ‘not in public interest’, says senator
In a motion filed through her legal team, the senator urged the court to strike out the case, arguing that the charges were not in the public interest but rather aimed at protecting “private and political interests.”
Her counsel contended that the Attorney General of the Federation (AGF) acted contrary to Section 174(3) of the 1999 Constitution (as amended), which requires that prosecutorial powers be exercised in the public interest, in the interest of justice, and to prevent abuse of legal process.
According to the motion, the prosecution “serves no public purpose” and represents “a gross abuse of legal authority.”
‘Defamatory claims were personal’
In an affidavit supporting her motion, Senator Akpoti-Uduaghan maintained that the charges filed on 22 May 2025 were initiated in bad faith.
She insisted that the alleged defamatory statements referenced in the case were directed at Akpabio and Bello in their personal capacities, not as public officials.
To reinforce her argument, she attached newspaper publications which she described as “public records that expose the true character of the Senate President.”
“Their actions and reputations are already matters of public discourse. So to criminalise my comments is to criminalise free expression and democratic accountability," she stated.
Case ‘a misuse of public resources’
The Kogi lawmaker further alleged that the petitions and circumstances leading to her prosecution were rooted in personal and political rivalry, not justice.
“This case, “is a clear misuse of public resources to settle private scores and to protect individuals with questionable reputations from criticism," she said.
As of the time of filing this report, the Federal High Court has yet to fix a date for the hearing of the motion.
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Source: Legit.ng
