Justice Binta Nyako of the Federal High Court in Abuja has found Senator Natasha Akpoti-Uduaghan, who represents Kogi Central Senatorial District, guilty of contempt of court. The ruling stems from a satirical Facebook post she made on April 27, which was deemed to have violated an earlier court order.
The contempt proceedings were initiated by Senate President Godswill Akpabio, who argued that the senator’s social media post breached the court’s directive restraining all parties from making public statements or comments on the ongoing legal matter concerning her suspension from the Senate.
Senator Akpoti-Uduaghan’s legal team claimed the post in question was unrelated to the suspension case and instead addressed separate sexual harassment allegations involving Akpabio, who is listed as the third respondent in the case.
However, after reviewing the evidence, Justice Nyako ruled that the post was connected to the ongoing legal proceedings and constituted a breach of the court’s order. She therefore found Akpoti-Uduaghan in contempt.
As part of the judgment, the court ordered the senator to issue a formal apology in two national newspapers and repost it on her Facebook page within seven days. Additionally, a monetary fine of ₦5 million was imposed.
This development marks a significant turn in the legal battle between the senator and the Senate leadership, further intensifying political and legal tensions within the National Assembly.
