Kogi Central Senator Natasha Akpoti-Uduaghan has faulted recent public commentary by senior lawyer Olisa Agbakoba (SAN) over her sexual harassment allegation against Senate President Godswill Akpabio, insisting that the matter should be left to the courts.
In a letter dated April 30, Akpoti-Uduaghan said she had not received any prior correspondence from Agbakoba, who had earlier demanded a retraction of her claims against Akpabio.
“I place it on formal record that no such letters have ever been served upon me by post, courier, or personal delivery,” she stated. “The imputation of recalcitrance is therefore inoperative.”
Akpoti-Uduaghan said she had chosen to remain silent on the matter out of respect for the legal doctrine of lis pendens, which discourages public commentary on issues pending before the court.
She referenced two ongoing suits — one filed by Akpabio’s wife at the FCT High Court demanding N250 billion in damages, and another filed by her at the Federal High Court in Abuja challenging her suspension from the Senate.
“While Suit No. FHC/ABJ/CS/384/2025 is unrelated to the sexual harassment allegations, Suit No. CV/816/2025 is directly related and is currently before the court,” she explained. “It is therefore improper for any party to make extrajudicial comments.”
The senator also criticised Agbakoba for what she called a “double standard,” noting that Akpabio’s legal team had previously invoked the sub judice rule to halt a Senate investigation, yet had now turned to the media.
“A litigant may not approbate in the courts and reprobate in the press,” she stated.
Addressing her six-month suspension from the Senate, Akpoti-Uduaghan accused Akpabio of presiding over proceedings in which he was directly implicated, thereby violating principles of natural justice.
“Nemo judex in causa sua: no one ought to be judge in his own cause,” she wrote.
She further rejected claims that her previous interactions with Akpabio undermined her complaint, saying: “Civility should not be mistaken for consent or comfort. To do so trivialises a serious concern of sexual harassment, especially in a workplace setting involving power dynamics.”
Akpoti-Uduaghan also maintained that Agbakoba had no constitutional authority to demand evidence or a retraction outside of judicial processes.
“A private legal practitioner, however distinguished, is not vested with adjudicatory authority under the Constitution or any statute of the Federal Republic,” she stated.
She urged Agbakoba to properly advise his client on the ethical implications of presiding over a matter in which he is personally involved.
“I respectfully invite you to provide your client with a comprehensive advisory that addresses the entirety of the factual matrix,” she wrote.
Reaffirming her original claims, Akpoti-Uduaghan concluded: “I stand by my complaint as lodged on 28th February 2025 and as pleaded in my Defence and Counter-Claim in CV/816/2025. This letter is issued solely to correct the public record and to prevent a constructive admission being inferred from silence.”
She also asked that all future correspondence be routed through her legal representatives.
In a separate development on Sunday, Akpoti-Uduaghan posted a satirical apology letter to Akpabio on her Facebook page, expressing “deepest sarcasm and utmost theatrical regret” for “the grievous crime of possessing dignity and self-respect” in the Senate President’s presence.
