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The suspended senator for Kogi Central Senatorial District, Natasha Akpoti-Uduaghan, is scheduled to appear in court on Tuesday following a summons.
This was confirmed by her lead counsel, West Idahosa (SAN), on Sunday.
Idahosa expressed some doubt regarding whether the Federal Government intended to arraign her on that day.
He stated that regardless of the government's plans, Akpoti-Uduaghan would comply with the court’s orders as a law-abiding citizen.
The Federal Government has brought criminal charges against Akpoti-Uduaghan through the Director of Public Prosecutions, Mohammed Abubakar, claiming she made defamatory comments during both a live television broadcast and a private phone conversation.
These remarks allegedly aimed at President of the Senate, Godswill Akpabio, and former Kogi State Governor, Yahaya Bello.
The charges, filed on May 16, 2025, in the Federal Capital Territory High Court and designated CR/297/25, accuse Akpoti-Uduaghan of stating during her appearance on Politics Today on Channels TV on April 3, 2025, that Akpabio and Bello plotted to have her killed.
The charge quotes her claims regarding a conversation about plans for her elimination: “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.”
Additionally, the government asserts that Akpoti-Uduaghan made defamatory statements during a phone call on March 27, 2025, with a woman named Dr. Sandra Duru, in which she allegedly linked Akpabio to organ harvesting related to the late Iniubong Umoren, supposedly for the benefit of his sick wife. Akpabio, Bello, and four others are named as primary witnesses in the case.
Idahosa reaffirmed the legal team's commitment to defending Akpoti-Uduaghan.
He stated, “If the case is called tomorrow, we will respond accordingly with our client. The matter of protest is irrelevant to us, we are lawyers, and our focus is on challenging the charges we believe are contestable. Protests belong to civil society and others in that sphere.”
He added, “Our client is a law-abiding citizen. Why wouldn’t she attend? It’s a summons we have agreed to. Only institutions that disrespect court orders would fail to show up, and she does not fit that description.”
When asked about the likelihood of an arraignment, Idahosa commented, “We don’t know. We noted a notice of amended charges. We are uncertain about their intentions. They have amended the charges once and could do so again, it’s at their discretion.”
