Former Minister of Education, Dr. Oby Ezekwesili, and renowned human rights activist, Aisha Yesufu, were among several prominent figures who joined suspended Senator Natasha Akpoti-Uduaghan at the Federal Capital Territory (FCT) High Court on Thursday for the hearing of a defamation case filed against her by the Federal Government.
Akpoti-Uduaghan, who represents Kogi Central Senatorial District, is facing a three-count charge of alleged defamation brought by the Federal Government on behalf of Senate President Godswill Akpabio and former Kogi State Governor Yahaya Bello.
She arrived at the court alongside her husband, while Ezekwesili, Yesufu, and a crowd of supporters gathered in solidarity outside the court premises.
The Federal Government, in one of the charges, accuses the embattled lawmaker of making a defamatory statement during a television interview in which she alleged that Senate President Akpabio and Yahaya Bello plotted to have her killed.
“Let’s ask the Senate President, why in the first instance did he withdraw my security, if not to make me vulnerable to attacks. He then emphasized that I should be killed, but I should be killed in Kogi,” she stated during the interview.
In the second count, Akpoti-Uduaghan is charged with making an imputation “knowing or having reason to believe that such imputation will harm the reputation of a person,” contrary to Section 391 of the Penal Code Law, Cap. 89, Laws of the Federation, 1990, and punishable under Section 392 of the same law.
The case has drawn significant public interest, with many observers viewing it as a test of freedom of expression and political accountability. The court proceedings are expected to continue in the coming months.
