Suspended Senator representing Kogi Central, Natasha Akpoti-Uduaghan, is expected to appear before the Federal Capital Territory High Court on Tuesday, following a court summons.
Her lead counsel, West Idahosa (SAN), confirmed this on Sunday, although he stated it was unclear whether the Federal Government intended to formally arraign her on that day.
“We don’t know. We saw a notice of amended charges. We don’t know what they are trying to do. They’ve amended the charges once and could do so again, it’s their decision,” Idahosa said.
Regardless of the prosecution’s next move, he emphasized that Akpoti-Uduaghan would comply with the court’s directive, describing her as a responsible and law-abiding citizen.
“Our client is a law-abiding citizen. Why wouldn’t she be there? It’s a summons we have undertaken. Only disrespectful institutions that disregard court orders would fail to appear, and she is not in that category,” he stressed.
The Federal Government, through Director of Public Prosecutions, Mohammed Abubakar, has filed criminal charges against the senator, accusing her of making defamatory statements targeting Senate President Godswill Akpabio and former Kogi State Governor Yahaya Bello.
According to the charge sheet dated May 16, 2025, and marked CR/297/25, Akpoti-Uduaghan is alleged to have made the statements during an appearance on Politics Today on Channels Television on April 3, 2025.
“It was part of the meeting, the discussions that Akpabio had with Yahaya Bello that night, to eliminate me… he then emphasised that I should be killed in Kogi,” the charge quotes her as saying.
She is also accused of making another defamatory remark during a private phone conversation on March 27, 2025, with one Dr Sandra Duru.
In that call, she allegedly linked Akpabio to organ harvesting involving the late Iniubong Umoren, claiming it was for the benefit of his ailing wife.
Akpabio, Bello, and four other individuals have been listed by the prosecution as key witnesses in the case.
Idahosa, when asked about possible protests or political motivations behind the case, said their team remained focused on the legal battle rather than public sentiment.
“If the case is called tomorrow, we will respond accordingly with our client,” he said.
“The issue of protest is irrelevant to us, we are lawyers, and our focus is on defending charges we believe can be contested. Protests are the domain of civil societies and others in that terrain,” Idahosa added.
