The Federal High Court in Abuja has found Kogi Central Senator, Natasha Akpoti-Uduaghan, guilty of contempt of court and fined her ₦5 million over a satirical apology she posted on Facebook targeting Senate President Godswill Akpabio.
Presiding Judge, Justice Binta Nyako, issued the ruling on Friday, declaring that the senator’s April 27, 2025 post violated a court order that barred all parties from making public statements or social media comments concerning the case surrounding her suspension from the Senate.
Justice Nyako said the post, though framed as satire, directly touched on the suspension matter and therefore amounted to contempt of court. In addition to the fine, the judge ordered Akpoti-Uduaghan to issue a public apology in two national newspapers and on her Facebook page within seven days.
Senator Akpoti-Uduaghan’s legal team argued that the social media post was related to separate allegations of sexual harassment she had made against Akpabio and not the ongoing court proceedings. However, the judge ruled otherwise, linking the post to the suspension dispute.
The contempt ruling emerged during the hearing of Akpoti-Uduaghan’s suit challenging her suspension from the Senate.
Background
The long-standing conflict between Senator Akpoti-Uduaghan and Senate President Akpabio escalated after a heated altercation over seating arrangements on February 20, 2025. The following month, on March 6, the Senate suspended her following her public accusations against Akpabio of sexual harassment and abuse of office.
Senator Akpabio denied the allegations, and the Senate’s disciplinary committee dismissed Akpoti-Uduaghan’s petition, citing procedural and legal shortcomings. She later re-submitted the petition the next day, insisting her claims be heard.
Meanwhile, the senator also filed a ₦100 billion defamation suit against Akpabio.
This recent contempt ruling is just one of several legal battles the lawmaker is facing. She is currently standing trial in two other cases involving alleged cybercrime and defamation in Abuja.
This is not the first time the two senators have clashed. In July 2024, Akpabio issued a public apology to Akpoti-Uduaghan following backlash over a nightclub-related remark he made about her.
