senator Natasha Akpoti-Uduaghan
Senator accuses government of double standard as women’s groups drag Senate to UN over harassment claims
Senator Natasha Akpoti-Uduaghan has mounted a fierce legal and political pushback against the Federal Government, accusing it of selective justice and political persecution after she was slammed with six counts of criminal defamation. The lawmaker representing Kogi Central insists that the case filed against her is not only unconstitutional but also a blatant double standard, highlighting how her own petitions against Senate President Godswill Akpabio were ignored while the Attorney-General of the Federation rushed to prosecute her based on his complaint.
Her trial, marked FHC/ABJ/CR/195/2025, has gripped national attention since her arraignment on June 20, with opposition figures and civil society organisations alleging that the case is politically motivated. Akpoti-Uduaghan was granted bail on self-recognition after pleading not guilty. Prosecutors claim her remarks accusing Akpabio of instructing former Kogi governor Yahaya Bello to have her killed were false, malicious, and dangerous to public order. They argue that her comments, made on April 4 during a gathering in Ihima and repeated in a subsequent television interview, were capable of inciting violence and undermining national stability.
On Monday, her legal team, led by four Senior Advocates of Nigeria, Prof. Roland Otaru, Dr. E. West-Idahosa, J.J. Usman, and M.J. Numa, filed preliminary objections before both the Federal High Court and the High Court of the Federal Capital Territory. They challenged the jurisdiction of the courts and the locus standi of the Attorney-General to prosecute what they described as a private defamation matter. According to them, the charges are frivolous, unconstitutional, and aimed at silencing opposition voices. They submitted that defamation is inherently a civil matter and that attempts to criminalise it amount to intimidation, suppression of free speech, and misuse of state power.
The senator herself accused the government of selective justice, insisting that while her petitions over threats to her life by the complainants were dismissed, charges against her were pursued with urgency. She contended that this disparity violated her constitutional rights under Section 42 and amounted to discriminatory prosecution based on her political affiliation. Her defence team further argued that her statements fell squarely within public discourse and media commentary, stressing that trying to criminalise them is inconsistent with democratic principles.
The court proceedings were adjourned to October 20 following an objection raised by her counsel, but the case has now spilled beyond Nigeria’s borders. Just hours after her legal challenge, a coalition of women’s rights groups escalated the dispute to the international stage, filing a petition with the United Nations Special Rapporteur on Violence Against Women and Girls, Reem Alsalem.
The Womanifesto Network, representing more than 350 organisations, accused the Senate leadership of gender-based discrimination, claiming that the suspension of Akpoti-Uduaghan was retaliatory and breached Nigeria’s obligations under the Convention on the Elimination of All Forms of Discrimination Against Women, ratified in 1985. In their formal complaint, they warned that silencing a female senator for speaking out on harassment sends a dangerous message to women in politics.
“This is about the integrity of our democracy. If a senator can be silenced for reporting harassment, what hope do ordinary women have?” asked the group’s convener, Dr. Abiola Akiyode-Afolabi.
The petitioners, which include Amnesty International Nigeria, FIDA Nigeria, Baobab for Women’s Human Rights, Women in Management, Business and Public Service (WIMBIZ), and Stand to End Rape, urged the UN to pressure the Nigerian government and the Senate to comply with a Federal High Court ruling that declared Akpoti-Uduaghan’s suspension unconstitutional. They are also demanding her immediate reinstatement and the establishment of an impartial investigation into her harassment claims.
Civil society groups have condemned the Senate’s refusal to reinstate her despite the July 4 ruling by the Federal High Court in Abuja, which described the suspension as illegal. The Senate has insisted that the judgment contained no binding reinstatement order and maintained that the matter remains under litigation.
Akpoti-Uduaghan first went public on February 20 with allegations that Senate President Akpabio sexually harassed her, claims the Senate President has strongly denied. Days later, the Senate’s Ethics and Privileges Committee recommended a six-month suspension, citing breaches of parliamentary procedure. The move stripped her of salary, security, and access to the chamber, sparking widespread outrage from rights groups, who described the punishment as vindictive and disproportionate.
For now, the legal and political showdown continues on multiple fronts. As Akpoti-Uduaghan battles criminal charges at home, her supporters are seeking justice abroad, raising fresh questions about the independence of Nigeria’s democratic institutions, the protection of women in politics, and the use of state power against dissenting voices. The UN has not yet responded to the petition, but the outcome of the case and international pressure could shape not just her political career but also broader debates about accountability and gender equity in Nigeria’s governance.
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