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By Sunday Ani
The Senator representing Kogi Central, Natasha Akpoti-Uduaghan, has urged the Federal High Court, Abuja, to dismiss the six-count charge filed against her by the Federal Government of Nigeria, describing the case as an abuse of prosecutorial power, a violation of due process, and an attempt to shield the Senate President, Senator Godswill Akpabio, and former Kogi State Governor, Yahaya Bello, from public scrutiny.
In a motion filed through her legal team, she urged the court to quash the charges on the grounds that they were not instituted in the public interest, but rather to protect Akpabio and Bello’s private and political interests.
She argued that the Attorney General of the Federation (AGF) acted contrary to the constitutional principles guiding the exercise of prosecutorial powers under Section 174(3) of the 1999 Constitution (as amended).
According to her, the said provision mandates the AGF to act only in public interest, the interest of justice and to prevent abuse of legal process.
However, she maintained that the prosecution against her serves no public purpose and amounts to a gross abuse of legal authority.
In her supporting affidavit, she stated that the six-count charge, initiated on May 22, 2025, was filed in bad faith, insisting that the alleged defamatory statements cited in the charge were directed at Akpabio and Bello in their personal capacities, and not in their official roles.
She further argued that the petitions and circumstances leading to her prosecution stemmed from personal and political rivalry, offering “no benefit to the Nigerian public.”
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She asserted that the case represents a misuse of public resources to settle personal scores and shield individuals with questionable reputations from criticism.
The motion read in part: “The charges contained in the information before this Court violate the principles enshrined in Section 174(3) of the Constitution and amount to an abuse of legal process. The Attorney General of the Federation has acted beyond his powers and the continuation of this charge would occasion a miscarriage of justice.”
She also contended that the charges were discriminatory, premature and in violation of her fundamental rights, insisting that her expressions were rooted in public interest and supported by documented evidence of alleged misconduct and violence linked to Akpabio during his tenure as governor of Akwa Ibom State.
In her affidavit, the lawmaker attached several past media publications as corroborative evidence, describing them as public records that reveal the true nature of the person of the Senate President.
She lamented that neither Akpabio nor the relevant law enforcement agencies ever sought legal redress over the allegations raised in those publications.
“It is clear that the attempt to prosecute me is not driven by the need to protect the law or national interest, but to defend the reputation of individuals whose public records have long shown their true identities,” she stated.
She, therefore, urged the court to dismiss the case in its entirety, warning that proceeding with the matter would amount to a miscarriage of justice and a blatant abuse of judicial process.
