The President of Nigeria’s Senate, Godswill Akpabio, on Monday, denied the involvement of prominent Senior Advocates of Nigeria (SANs), Olisa Agbakoba and Monday Ubani, in the defence of a suit filed by suspended Kogi State Senator, Natasha Akpoti-Uduaghan.
Naija News reports that the suit challenges her suspension and the actions of the Senate leadership.
The accusation arose after Akpoti-Uduaghan published a satirical apology letter to Senate President Akpabio, in which she claimed to have been suspended due to her refusal to succumb to alleged sexual overtures by the Senate President.
The letter, posted on her Facebook page on April 27, quickly went viral, raising concerns over its impact on the ongoing legal proceedings.
During Monday’s court session, lawyers representing the Senate and Akpabio, the 2nd and 3rd respondents in the case, argued that Agbakoba and Ubani were not part of the legal team handling the matter.
They claimed the two senior lawyers were wrongly accused of disobeying court orders related to the case.
Paul Daudu and Eko Ejembi Eko, for the Senate and Akpabio, informed the court about an affidavit of non-compliance, accusing Akpoti-Uduaghan of violating the court’s order prohibiting parties from speaking with the media about the case.
They pointed to the satirical letter as evidence of contempt. Daudu criticized the letter as not just a mockery of the Senate but also a direct attack on the substance of the case.
In response, Akpoti-Uduaghan’s legal team defended the letter, claiming it was unrelated to the court case at hand. Lead counsel, Jibrin Okutepa (SAN), clarified that the satirical letter was linked to Akpoti-Uduaghan’s allegations of sexual harassment against Akpabio, not her suspension.
He also initiated contempt proceedings against the respondents for allegedly violating court orders, urging Justice Nyako to address the matter promptly.
In her counter-affidavit, Akpoti-Uduaghan criticised Akpabio for attempting to derail the judicial process. She alleged that the motion filed by Akpabio was an attempt to “ambush” the proceedings and prevent her from returning to the Senate.
She stated that Akpabio’s actions were designed to prolong the void in her Senate representation, which has resulted from her unlawful suspension.
“The 3rd Defendant’s application is not only malicious but if granted, would amount to rewarding contempt, encouraging procedural ambushes, and punishing my constituents by prolonging the void in representation at the Senate,” Akpoti-Uduaghan stated in her affidavit.
Justice Binta Nyako, who is now presiding over the case, adjourned the matter to May 13, 2025, for the hearing of all applications and the substantive suit.
Nyako emphasized the importance of addressing the issue of contempt in relation to the proceedings. The plaintiff’s legal team has argued that Akpabio’s continued disobedience of court orders undermines the integrity of the judicial process and damages public confidence in the administration of justice.
Akpoti-Uduaghan’s legal battle centers around her suspension from the Senate, which she argues was unlawful. She had approached the court seeking to prevent any further disciplinary action until the legal dispute was resolved.
However, the Senate proceeded with her six-month suspension on March 5, 2025, leading to further complications in the case.