Senate President Godswill Akpabio says he has not filed any fresh charges against Senator Natasha Akpoti-Uduaghan.
In a statement issued by his Special Assistant on Media, Jackson Udom, Akpabio described as misleading and inaccurate the claim that he had “just filed” a N200bn suit against her.
Udom stated, “Her claim that the matter was ‘just filed’ is therefore false, misleading, and intended to distort public understanding of the case.”
According to the statement, the suit was instituted over three months ago, with its progress briefly delayed due to routine administrative and judicial procedures.
The statement further explained that multiple attempts were made by the court’s bailiff to personally serve Akpoti-Uduaghan with the originating processes, but each effort reportedly failed due to what was described as her deliberate evasion. The court subsequently granted an application for substituted service in November.
Akpabio maintained that “legal disputes are resolved in courtrooms, not through orchestrated narratives and staged outrage on social-media platforms.”
He added that online reactions sought by Senator Akpoti-Uduaghan cannot replace due process, evidence, or judicial scrutiny.
The Senate President also referenced what he called a similar pattern of behaviour during her six-month suspension, which he described as a lawful disciplinary measure she attempted to challenge online but ultimately served in full.
He urged Senator Akpoti-Uduaghan to present the “evidence” she claims to have before a competent court rather than relying on sensational commentary aimed at gaining sympathy.
“The law is guided by proof, procedure, and due process, not sentiment, not emotion, and certainly not social-media theatrics,” the statement added, advising her to properly brief her lawyers, file her defence, and provide the evidence supporting her allegations.