FG Slams Criminal Charges on Suspended Senator Natasha Akpoti-Uduaghan Over Live TV Remarks

Summary

• The Nigerian government has filed criminal charges against suspended Senator Natasha Akpoti-Uduaghan for allegedly defamatory comments made during a live TV interview.
• Akpoti-Uduaghan had accused Senate President Godswill Akpabio and ex-Governor Yahaya Bello of plotting to assassinate her, claims the prosecution says were false and damaging.
• Her suspension from the Senate and ongoing legal woes are widely seen as part of a deeper political conflict, with her supporters alleging political witch-hunt.
• The controversy has sparked nationwide debate on freedom of speech, gender bias in politics, and the limits of parliamentary discipline.

Abuja, Nigeria — The Federal Government has formally filed criminal charges against Natasha Akpoti-Uduaghan, the embattled senator representing Kogi Central, over comments she made during a live appearance on Channels Television’s Politics Today on April 3, 2025.

The case, now before a Federal Capital Territory High Court (suit no. CR/297/25), alleges that her statements accusing Senate President Godswill Akpabio and former Kogi State Governor Yahaya Bello of conspiring to assassinate her were defamatory and maliciously intended to damage reputations.

According to the charge sheet, Akpoti-Uduaghan is accused of knowingly making “false imputations” that tarnished Bello’s reputation. Both Bello and Akpabio have been named as witnesses in the trial, highlighting the political sensitivity surrounding the matter.

The senator’s legal troubles are the latest chapter in an escalating power struggle between her and top political figures. Her six-month suspension from the Senate on March 6, 2025, followed a contentious dispute over seating arrangements, though she insists the move was retaliation for her public allegations of sexual harassment against Akpabio and criticisms of the Senate’s leadership style, which she likened to a “cult.”

Akpoti-Uduaghan has also been fending off a failed recall effort by her constituents—dismissed by INEC on April 3 for not meeting legal thresholds—as well as legal spats involving other political figures. These include a dismissed privacy case filed by Yahaya Bello’s nephew, Ali Bello, and her own defamation suit against Senator Onyekachi Nwaebonyi.

Despite mounting pressure, Akpoti-Uduaghan remains defiant. Her dramatic return to Kogi Central—via helicopter during a state-imposed rally ban to mark Sallah—was met with jubilant crowds and vocal support from northern youth groups and constituents who view her as a courageous reformer being punished for speaking out.

Meanwhile, the Kogi State government and other critics accuse her of incitement and disturbing public peace. As public opinion remains sharply divided and court dates loom, including a hearing on her Senate suspension scheduled for June 27.

The case is shaping up to be a litmus test for political accountability, gender equity, and freedom of speech in Nigeria’s evolving democracy, with the outcome of both the criminal trial and related legal battles still uncertain.