The suspended Kogi Central Senator, Natasha Akpoti-Uduaghan, has asked a Federal High Court in Abuja to reject a motion seeking to compel her to delete a satirical apology she posted on social media.
Mrs Akpoti-Uduaghan made her request in a counter-affidavit responding to a motion by Senate President Godswill Akpabio, who argued that her Facebook post violated a court order in the ongoing case she filed to challenge her suspension from the Senate.
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On 4 April, Justice Binta Nyako, who took over the case after another judge stepped down, issued an order barring both parties from making public statements related to the case, especially concerning the sexual harassment allegations.
The judge ruled that: “There shall be no press interviews by all parties and counsels as regard the subject matter of this suit. There shall be no streaming or social media post as regards this case. There shall be no television analysis of this subject matter while the case is subjudice.”
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Despite this order, on 27 April, Mrs Akpoti-Uduaghan posted a satirical apology on her official Facebook page. In the post, she mocked the leadership style of the senate president and his alleged misconduct in the upper chamber.
In a motion filed on 5 May, the senate president’s legal team, led by Kehinde Ogunwumiju, argued that Mrs Akpoti-Uduaghan’s post violated the court’s order. It, therefore, asked the court to mandate her to delete the satirical post from all her social media platforms.
Mr Akpabio’s legal team also asked the court to direct the suspended senator to issue a written apology, to be published in at least two national newspapers and an affidavit of compliance confirming her adherence to these directives.
However, in the counter-affidavit, the suspended senator’s legal team, led by Jubril Okutepa, argued that her post did not violate the court order and was instead a way to protest her alleged unfair suspension from the senate.
Mrs Akpoti-Uduaghan’s legal team also alleged that Mr Akpabio’s motion was an attempt to harass and intimidate her for expressing herself.
“That the instant motion is borne of malice and intended to harass, intimidate, and scandalise me for exercising my constitutionally guaranteed right to fair hearing and to free expression.”
The case filed by Mrs Akpoti-Uduaghan to challenge her suspension from the Senate was adjourned to 12 May for hearing. The court is expected to address Mr Akpabio’s motion and the suspended senator’s counter-affidavit when it reconvenes.
What is the satirical apology?
In the satirical post, Mrs Akpoti-Uduaghan ‘apologised’ for her “crime of maintaining dignity and self-respect,” and suggested that success in the Senate under Mr Akpabio’s leadership was based not on competence or merit, but on conformity to personal expectations.
The statement went viral and generated several comments and reactions on social media. While some commentators saw the post as a form of protest by the suspended senator, others argued it was a disregard for the court order and advised the suspended senator to issue a straightforward apology if she had any regrets.
Legal battles
The dispute between the senate president and the suspended kogi senator dates back to a heated argument over sitting arrangements in February, which led to Mrs Akpoti-Uduaghan’s suspension in March.
The Kogi senator, minutes before her controversial suspension, accused Mr Akpabio of sexual harassment.
Since then, both parties have filed different lawsuits against one another, demanding billions of naira from each other.
In one such suit still pending in court, Mrs Akpoti-Uduaghan sued Mr Akpabio and his legislative aide, Mfon Patrick, for defamation. She is seeking ₦100 billion in general damages and ₦300 million for litigation costs. This was due to a social media post allegedly authored by Mr Patrick that stated that Mrs Akpoti-Uduaghan lacked legislative understanding and was more focused on her appearance than parliamentary duties.
READ ALSO: Alleged Sexual Harassment: Ill not step down, Akpabio tells critics
Also, Ekaette Akpabio, the wife of the senate president, filed two separate defamation suits against the suspended kogi senator, demanding ₦350 billion in damages for reputational harm allegedly inflicted upon her husband.
Mrs Akpoti-Uduaghan has also filed a separate suit to contest her suspension from the Senate, a case that, like the others, is still awaiting resolution.
