The High Court of the Federal Capital Territory (FCT) has summoned Senate President Godswill Akpabio to appear before it on June 9, 2025, in connection with a ₦100 billion defamation lawsuit filed against him by Senator Natasha H. Akpoti-Uduaghan.
Presiding Judge, Honourable Justice Idris Kutigi, issued the court summons following a motion by Akpoti-Uduaghan’s legal representative, Barrister Victor Giwa, who sought the court’s approval for substituted service after Senator Akpabio failed to attend a scheduled court appearance on May 7, 2025.
The suit, filed under case number FCT/HC/CV/754/2025, centers on allegations that statements attributed to Akpabio severely damaged Senator Akpoti-Uduaghan’s reputation. As a result, the Kogi Central Senator is demanding ₦100 billion in damages for what she describes as false, malicious, and reputation-damaging remarks.
Granting the application for substituted service, Justice Kutigi ordered that the originating court documents be served on Senator Akpabio through the Clerk of the National Assembly, a move designed to ensure the Senate President is adequately notified of the court proceedings.
Court sources have confirmed that the documents have now been successfully delivered in accordance with the judge’s directive, setting the stage for what analysts are calling one of the most politically consequential legal showdowns in recent memory.
Senator Natasha Akpoti-Uduaghan is pressing forward with the suit, insisting that the remarks allegedly made by Akpabio were not only untrue but calculated to malign her integrity and undermine her public image.