Senator Natasha Akpoti-Uduaghan, representing Kogi Central Senatorial District, has filed a motion before the Federal High Court in Abuja seeking to dismiss the six-count criminal charge brought against her by the Federal Government of Nigeria. She described the charges as a politically motivated attack and an abuse of prosecutorial power, allegedly orchestrated to protect Senate President Godswill Akpabio and former Kogi State Governor Yahaya Bello from scrutiny.
In the motion filed by her legal team, Senator Akpoti-Uduaghan argued that the prosecution violates Section 174(3) of the 1999 Constitution (as amended), which requires the Attorney General of the Federation (AGF) to act only in the public interest, the interest of justice, and to prevent abuse of legal process. She maintained that her trial “serves no public purpose” and was filed in bad faith, rooted in personal and political vendettas rather than justice.
According to her affidavit, the charges—filed on May 22, 2025—stemmed from statements she made that were critical of Akpabio and Bello in their personal capacities, not in a manner that warranted federal prosecution. The senator also attached several newspaper publications as public evidence, asserting that they reveal “the true nature” of the individuals shielding themselves from public criticism.
She contended that the case represents a misuse of state power and public funds to settle personal scores, emphasizing that it offers no benefit to Nigerians and undermines the integrity of democratic accountability.
The court is expected to set a date for hearing her motion, marking another dramatic chapter in the ongoing political tensions between Akpoti-Uduaghan and Nigeria’s political elite.
