JUST IN: Akpabio clears air on N200bn lawsuit against Natasha

Senate President Godswill Akpabio has responded to reports regarding a ₦200 billion lawsuit against Senator Natasha Akpoti-Uduaghan, clarifying that the suit was not recently filed. According to a statement released by his Special Assistant on Media, Jackson Udom, the lawsuit was initiated over three months prior, with delays attributed to standard administrative and judicial processes. Akpabio’s statement detailed difficulties in personally serving Senator Akpoti-Uduaghan with the court documents, citing her “deliberate evasion of service,” which led to a court order for substituted service in November.

Akpabio criticized Senator Akpoti-Uduaghan’s approach of seeking public sympathy through social media rather than addressing the matter within the legal system. He stated, “The online applause Senator Akpoti-Uduaghan habitually seeks cannot replace credible evidence, legal procedure, or judicial scrutiny.” He also referenced her previous six-month suspension, which she contested through “digital agitation,” and urged her to present any evidence she possesses in court.

Akpabio emphasized the importance of due process and evidence-based arguments in legal proceedings, calling on Senator Akpoti-Uduaghan to properly engage with the lawsuit through her legal counsel and file a defense. He maintained that the legal process should not be swayed by “orchestrated narratives and staged outrage on social-media platforms.”

(Source：Tribune)