The Federal High Court in Abuja has postponed until Tuesday, May 13, the hearing of a contempt application filed by Senate President Godswill Akpabio against suspended Natasha Akpoti-Uduaghan, Senator representing Kogi Central.
Justice Binta Nyako fixed the new date after hearing from counsel to the second and third defendants, who said they had filed a fresh application highlighting alleged contemptuous behaviour by the plaintiff.
The conflict stems from a February 20 Senate plenary session where a disagreement over seating arrangements escalated. Shortly afterwards, Akpoti-Uduaghan appeared on a television programme, accusing Akpabio of sexual harassment, a claim that added fuel to the ongoing dispute.
In response, Akpoti-Uduaghan sought a court injunction to stop the Senate Committee on Ethics, Privileges, and Public Petitions from investigating her. She filed an ex parte motion (FHC/ABJ/CS/384/2025), naming the Clerk of the National Assembly, the Senate, Akpabio, and Senator Nedamwen Imasuen as defendants.
Despite a court order on March 4 restraining the Senate from taking disciplinary steps, Akpoti-Uduaghan was suspended just two days later, based on committee findings of alleged gross misconduct.
Court refrain Akpabio, Natasha from making public statements
On April 4, Justice Nyako ordered all parties to refrain from making public statements, including interviews or social media posts, while the case remained in court. However, during the resumed session on Monday, counsel to the second defendant, Paul Daudu, claimed that Akpoti-Uduaghan violated this order by posting a satirical apology on Facebook. He described the post as contemptuous and asked the court to take action.
Akpabio’s lawyer, Ekoh Ejembi (SAN), backed the claim, referencing a report from Punch newspaper that highlighted the Facebook post. He argued that the plaintiff’s actions undermined the court’s authority.
In defence, Akpoti-Uduaghan’s counsel, Jibrin Okutekpa (SAN), insisted the post was unrelated to the ongoing litigation and focused solely on the sexual harassment allegation. He urged the court to dismiss the claims and proceed with the substantive case, emphasising that his client had already been absent from the Senate for 68 days.
Justice Nyako, however, made it clear that contempt matters must be resolved first. “If there is contempt, I have to hear and determine it before proceeding,” she stated.
Interestingly, Okutekpa also raised a counter-contempt claim against all the defendants, prompting the judge to issue a stern warning to both sides: continued disobedience of the court’s directives could lead to sanctions, including summoning all parties to appear personally.
“If counsel or litigants disobey the court, the court has no business hearing them,” Justice Nyako declared. She invited any party with contempt applications to bring them forward, saying the court would address them before moving on.
