By Atoyebi Nike
12th May,2025
The Federal High Court in Abuja has scheduled Tuesday, May 13, for the definitive hearing of a contempt allegation brought by Senate President Godswill Akpabio against the suspended Senator representing Kogi Central, Natasha Akpoti-Uduaghan.
Presiding Judge, Justice Binta Nyako, fixed the date following submissions by counsel for the second and third defendants, who argued that Akpoti-Uduaghan had violated a court order by posting on social media.
The dispute stems from a heated altercation during a Senate plenary on February 20, which escalated after Akpoti-Uduaghan, in a televised interview, accused Akpabio of sexual harassment. The fallout led the Senator to seek a court injunction preventing the Senate Committee on Ethics, Privileges, and Public Petitions from probing her conduct.
Despite an interim order issued on March 4 barring disciplinary action, the Senate suspended Akpoti-Uduaghan on March 6, citing misconduct. In response, her legal team, led by Jibrin Okutekpa, maintained that the Senate acted in defiance of the court’s directive.
On April 4, Justice Nyako ordered all parties, including Akpoti-Uduaghan and Akpabio, to refrain from making public statements or media posts relating to the case. However, defence counsel Paul Daudu accused Akpoti-Uduaghan of mocking the court via a satirical Facebook post, which allegedly breached the court’s directive.
As tensions escalated in the courtroom, Okutekpa countered by raising contempt allegations against all defendants, arguing that Akpoti-Uduaghan had been unlawfully sidelined from legislative duties for a cumulative 68 days.
Justice Nyako made it clear that the contempt matter must be resolved before the main suit could proceed. “If they are found in contempt, they will face punishment. If not, the court will proceed,” she ruled.
She warned both sides about continued defiance of court orders and signaled that any further disregard could lead to summonses for the parties involved.
