Senator Natasha Akpoti-Uduaghan has issued a searing rebuttal to recent public commentary by Senate President Godswill Akpabio’s legal team, insisting she will not be cowed into silence over her sexual harassment allegations.
In a formal rejoinder dated April 30 and addressed to Dr. Olisa Agbakoba (SAN), lead counsel to Senator Akpabio, Senator Natasha condemned what she called an attempt to “weaponize media narratives” to undermine ongoing judicial proceedings.
The statement follows televised appearances by Dr. Agbakoba on Channels TV’s Politics Today (April 15 and 29), during which he accused the senator of ignoring letters demanding a retraction of her allegations.
“No such letters were ever served on me by post, courier, or personal delivery,” she stated, clarifying that her previous silence was out of “studious restraint,” informed by legal advice and the principle of lis pendens—which bars public discourse on active court matters.
Senator Natasha is currently the plaintiff in Suit No. FHC/ABJ/CS/384/2025, challenging her six-month suspension from the Senate over alleged denial of fair hearing. That suspension, she argues, was engineered by Akpabio in retaliation for her harassment claims.
Meanwhile, in a separate matter—Suit No. CV/816/2025—Unoma Akpabio, wife of the Senate President, is seeking ₦250 billion in damages for alleged defamation.
The Kogi Central senator slammed what she described as “strategic hypocrisy” on the part of Akpabio’s legal team—invoking the sub judice rule to block a Senate probe into her petition, while simultaneously launching a public pressure campaign through the media.
“One cannot approbate in court and reprobate in the press,” she wrote. “Such conduct undermines the sanctity of judicial process.”
She further argued that Senator Akpabio violated basic tenets of natural justice by presiding over the very Senate session that led to her suspension—even after a court order had restrained such action.
“These actions offend the principles of nemo judex in causa sua (no one should be a judge in their own cause) and audi alteram partem (the right to a fair hearing),” she noted. “It is deeply concerning that a Life Bencher and former NBA President would not caution his client against such breaches.”
Senator Natasha also rejected insinuations that past public appearances alongside Senator Akpabio—such as photos from the 2024 Inter-Parliamentary Union session—somehow contradict her claims.
“In a chamber where women occupy just three out of 109 seats, female legislators often endure systemic pressure to maintain public decorum,” she said. “Civility should not be mistaken for consent.”
Calling on Dr. Agbakoba to offer more ethically grounded counsel, she warned of the broader implications of her suspension—not just for gender equity in politics, but for the democratic rights of Kogi Central constituents.
“The unlawful denial of a senatorial district’s voice in the legislature is not just undemocratic—it is unconstitutional,” she declared, referencing existing court precedents.
Senator Natasha concluded by affirming that her petition, filed on February 28, remains active. She emphasized her right to seek justice both within Nigeria and on international platforms. All future correspondence, she added, should be directed to her legal representatives.