The Senator representing Kogi Cental, Natasha Akpoti-Uduaghan, has filed a lawsuit against the President of the Senate, Senator Godswill Akpabio, for alleged defamation of character.

Recall that Natasha Akpoti-Uduaghan had raised concerns after her Senate seat was reassigned last week following a reshuffle triggered by opposition members switching to the ruling party.

She resisted the relocation, leading to a face-off between her and the Senate President.

However, in a suit filed before the Federal Capital Territory (FCT) High Court on Tuesday, Akpabio and his Senior Legislative Aide, Mfon Patrick, were listed as the second and third defendants, respectively.

In the suit, marked CV/737/25, Akpoti-Uduaghan, through her lawyer, Barrister Victor Giwa, alleged that defamatory statements were made by the Senate President and published by his aide on Facebook.

According to him, the post, titled “Is the Local Content Committee of the Senate Natasha’s Birthright?” included a statement suggesting that Akpoti-Uduaghan believed being a lawmaker was only about “pancaking her face and wearing transparent outfits to the chambers.”

Giwa argued that the statements were defamatory, provocative, and disparaging, lowering his client’s dignity in the estimation of her colleagues and the public.

He stated, “A DECLARATION that the words, ‘It is bottled anger by the Kogi lawmaker, who knows nothing about legislative rules. She thinks being a lawmaker is all about pancaking her face and wearing transparent outfits to the chambers,’ used and written by the third defendant at the prompting of the first and second defendants, were defamatory and intended to cause public opprobrium and disaffection” toward Natasha.

She also urged the court to restrain the defendants and their associates from making further defamatory statements against her on any platform.

“AN ORDER OF PERPETUAL INJUNCTION restraining the defendants, whether acting by themselves or through their agents, privies, assigns, or associates, from further publishing or causing to be published the said defamatory words or any similar publications about the claimant on social media or in any other manner capable of defaming her,” she stated.

Furthermore, Akpoti-Uduaghan asked the court to order the defendants to pay her N100 billion in general damages and N300 million as litigation costs.

“An order for the payment of the sum of N100,000,000,000 as general damages. An order for the payment of the sum of N300,000,000 as the cost of action,” she prayed according to the court filings.

Manchester City have scaled through to the playoff knockout round of the Champions League with a 3-1 win over Club Brugge at Etihad Stadium.

The result means that Pep Guardiola maintains his record of progressing from the opening stage of the competition in every year of his managerial career.

Elsewhere, Liverpool finished atop the league phase table despite losing 3-2 to PSV Eindhoven on Wednesday as second-placed Barcelona were held at home against Atalanta.

Arsenal and Aston Villa both won to finish in the top eight and secure direct progress to the round of 16, as did Atlético Madrid.

 

Real Madrid and Bayern Munich won their final games against Brest and Slovan Bratislava, respectively, but face the same fate as City in the playoffs having made slow starts to their continental seasons.

 

City dominated possession in the first half but failed to create any clear-cut chances, though Ilkay Gündogan did put the ball in the net from an offside position.

 

They were stung in the half’s closing moments as Brugge counter-attacked and Raphael Onyedika finished calmly after some excellent work from Ferran Jutglà on the left wing.

 

The Guardiola’s side forced the issue in the second half, with Mateo Kovacic giving his side hope in the 53rd minute with a great solo run through the Brugge midfield and a fine finish, before tricky work from Savinho saw Josko Gvardiol find space on the left-hand side of the box, with his ball in deflecting off Joel Ordóñez and into the net.

 

Savinho, who came off the bench to spark the comeback, then scored himself in the 77th minute to seal the result.

 

City’s campaign in Europe this season has seen a number of uncharacteristic collapses, beginning with a 4-1 humbling away to Sporting CP then coached by now-Manchester United boss, Ruben Amorim.

They then threw a three-goal lead away at home to Feyenoord, falling to a 2-0 defeat at Juventus and conceded four against Paris Saint-Germain last Wednesday to put their hopes of progressing in doubt.

However, the win against Brugge means their resurgence continues, with a two-legged playoff tie to come against an opponent to be decided on Friday.