The legal battle between suspended Kogi Central Senator, Natasha Akpoti-Uduaghan, and Senate President Godswill Akpabio took another twist on Monday, as the Federal High Court in Abuja shifted the hearing to Tuesday, May 13, to first address claims of contempt raised by both parties.
Justice Binta Nyako, who presided over the case, made it clear that no further steps would be taken until the contempt issues were dealt with. The case, originally set for a definite hearing, was stalled after Akpabio’s legal team accused Akpoti-Uduaghan of mocking the court through a Facebook post.
“This court ordered that there should be no social media posts, but the plaintiff posted a satirical apology,” said Paul Daudu, counsel for the second defendant.
Akpabio’s counsel, Ekoh Ejembi (SAN), supported the claim and argued that the post undermined the court’s authority. He submitted a newspaper report to back his allegation.
Akpoti-Uduaghan’s lawyer, Jibrin Okutekpa (SAN), disagreed, insisting the post was unrelated to the court case and instead referred to earlier allegations of sexual harassment made by his client during a TV interview. He urged the court to move forward with the main matter, pointing out that the senator had already been away from the Senate for 68 days.
But Justice Nyako stood her ground. “I cannot proceed with this matter until I conclude on the issue of contempt,” she said firmly.
Interestingly, Akpoti-Uduaghan’s legal team also accused the defendants of contempt, leading the judge to issue a strong warning to all parties involved.
“If your clients disobey the court, I can summon them here. The court must be respected,” she cautioned.
