Natasha Akpoti-Uduaghan received strong backing as her trial began at the Federal Capital Territory High Court in Maitama, Abuja, with the presence of notable human rights advocates.
Among those who came to the court were Dr. Oby Ezekwesili, a former Minister of Education, and Aisha Yesufu, both known for speaking up for justice and democracy in Nigeria.
The courtroom was filled with tension as security officers guarded the premises. Senator Akpoti-Uduaghan arrived around 10:27 a.m., accompanied by her husband and her legal team. According to the court clerk, the judge, Justice Chizoba Orji, was expected to begin proceedings by 11 a.m.
The trial stems from a three-count charge filed against the Senator by the Federal Government. The case number is CR/297/25. She is accused of making false statements during a live interview on Channels Television’s Politics Today on April 3.
The government claims she wrongfully said there was a plan to assassinate her, allegedly involving Senate President Godswill Akpabio and former Kogi State Governor Yahaya Bello.
The charges say that Senator Akpoti-Uduaghan made harmful accusations, knowing such statements could damage the names and reputations of the people involved. This is said to be an offence under Section 391 of the Penal Code and is punishable under Section 392 of the same law.
Among those named as witnesses in the case are Akpabio and Bello, who are listed as the complainants. Also expected to testify are two police investigators, Maya Iliya and Abdulhafiz Garba, as well as Senator Asuquo Ekpenyong and Sandra Duru.
The trial comes at a time when Senator Akpoti-Uduaghan is also fighting a separate legal battle regarding her six-month suspension from the Senate. She has taken her case to the Federal High Court in Abuja, where a decision is expected on June 27.
She claims the Senate acted unfairly by suspending her following a disagreement with the Senate President during a February 20 plenary session.
During that sitting, she objected to the sudden change of her seat in the Senate chamber and repeatedly asked to be heard, even after the Senate President overruled her. This led to her being sent to the Senate Ethics Committee. The suspension followed shortly after.
Senator Akpoti-Uduaghan has maintained that her problems in the Senate began after she turned down what she described as “unwanted advances” from the Senate President. In an interview on February 28, she stated, “My ordeal started after I turned down Senate President Akpabio’s advances.”
She also sent a letter to the Attorney-General of the Federation, Prince Lateef Fagbemi, accusing the police of not treating her complaints fairly. In response, she filed a motion before the court asking for her suspension and any decisions made by the Ethics Committee to be declared invalid while her case is still ongoing.
