NATASHA SUES NWAEBONYI N5BN OVER DEFAMATORY COMMENTS
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Senator Natasha Akpoti-Uduaghan, who represents Kogi Central, has sued her colleague, Senator Onyekachi Nwaebonyi, who represents the Ebonyi North Central Senatorial District, for alleged slander, bringing a N5 billion lawsuit.
The Federal Capital Territory High Court in Abuja is where Akpoti-Uduaghan, through her attorney Michael Numa, filed the lawsuit, which aims to declare Nwaebonyi’s remarks from a March 6, 2025, interview on Channels Television to be malicious and untrue.
Akpoti-Uduaghan claims in the lawsuit that Nwaebonyi called her a “gold digger, habitual liar, and habitual blackmailer” in the interview.
She asked the court, among other things, to flag as malicious, false, and defamatory the allegations made by her colleague that she is the mother of six children from various men.
She noted that such remarks undermine her reputation as a role model for women aspiring to enter politics.
“The defendant’s characterisation of the claimant as a ‘mother of six from different men’ is baseless, malicious, and reckless,” the suit states.
“The claimant is an inspiration to women in politics and aspiring women for speaking truth to power.
“The claimant is not tarnishing the chances of women in politics as falsely alleged. Rather, she is inspiring women to be bold in their pursuit of political aspirations and good governance.”
In the lawsuit, Akpoti-Uduaghan argues that Nwaebonyi’s remarks have seriously damaged her reputation and embarrassed her in public.
The Kogi senator then went on to request a court order prohibiting Nwaebonyi from uttering any more defamatory remarks against her.
She further requested that the court order Nwaebonyi to pay N5 billion in exemplary and aggravated damages for the malicious, false, and damaging statements that were made against her.
She also asked the court to order Nwaebonyi to apologize unconditionally and take down the offensive comments that were first posted on the same platform.
The court filing seeks “an order of perpetual injunction restraining the defendant, his associates, agents, assignees, servants, privies, proxies, allies, or anyone acting on his behalf from further publishing or causing to be published the words complained of, or any other defamatory statements concerning the claimant.”
The document further requests “an order of this Honourable Court compelling the defendant to retract the defamatory statements on the same platforms used to make the allegations and to tender an unreserved apology in at least two national newspapers, both in print and online, circulated nationwide, within seven days from the date of judgment.”
It also calls for “an order of this Honourable Court awarding the sum of £5 billion as aggravated and exemplary damages in favour of the claimant for the false, malicious, and injurious statements that have caused the claimant considerable distress, reputational harm, embarrassment, and emotional distress.”
She also sought, “an order of this Honourable Court awarding post-judgment interest on the judgment sum at a rate of 10% per annum from the date of delivery of the judgment until the judgment debt is fully paid.”
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