Abuja, 23 September 2025 — Suspended Senator Natasha Akpoti-Uduaghan has challenged the Federal Government’s criminal defamation charges against her, calling them a case of political persecution and selective justice.
Akpoti-Uduaghan, representing Kogi Central, filed preliminary objections in both the High Court of the Federal Capital Territory and the Federal High Court.
Her legal team argues that the six counts filed by the Attorney General of the Federation under the Cybercrimes (Prohibition, Prevention, etc.) (Amendment) Act, 2024, are unconstitutional, frivolous, and aimed at silencing opposition voices.
The charges stem from petitions by Senate President Godswill Akpabio and former Kogi State governor Yahaya Bello. They allege that Senator Natasha made false statements during a public address in Ihima on 4 April 2025, and again in a television interview, claiming that Akpabio instructed Bello to have her killed in Kogi State.
Prosecutors say the remarks are malicious, capable of inciting violence, and harmful to public order.
In her defence, Akpoti-Uduaghan argues that these charges violate democratic norms and her constitutional rights.
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Her lawyers maintain that defamation is fundamentally a civil matter, not one for criminal prosecution, and that the Federal Government lacks the legal standing (locus standi) to initiate such a criminal case for what they describe as a private defamation issue.
A key plank in her objection is what she calls the Federal Government’s unequal responsiveness: while her own earlier petitions against the complainants (Akpabio and Bello) over threats to her life allegedly went uninvestigated, the defamation charges against her were pursued quickly and forcefully.
She contends that this constitutes a breach of Section 42 of the Nigerian Constitution and amounts to discriminatory prosecution because of her political opposition.
The trial, filed as case number FHC/ABJ/CR/195/2025, is being prosecuted by the Director of Public Prosecutions of the Federation, Mohammed Abubakar. Akpoti-Uduaghan was arraigned on 30 June, pleaded not guilty, and was granted bail on self-recognition.
On Monday, the court adjourned proceedings to October 20, 2025 to allow for the hearing of the preliminary objection.
Observers, including political analysts and civil society groups, are watching closely, highlighting concerns about free speech, abuse of prosecutorial power, and selective enforcement of laws.
Akpoti-Uduaghan’s legal team argues that letting the case proceed would erode the justice system’s credibility and waste public resources.
