Senator Natasha Akpoti-Uduaghan, representing Kogi Central, has asked the Federal High Court in Abuja to dismiss the six-count charge filed against her by the Federal Government, describing it as an abuse of court process and prosecutorial power.
The charge, filed by the Office of the Attorney General of the Federation (AGF), accuses Senator Akpoti-Uduaghan of making false and defamatory claims during a live television interview.
She allegedly stated that Senate President Godswill Akpabio and former Kogi State Governor Yahaya Bello plotted to assassinate her — an allegation the government says was intended to damage their reputations.
According to the charge, marked CR/297/25, the lawmaker’s statement contravened Section 391 of the Penal Code, Cap 89, Laws of the Federation, 1990, and is punishable under Section 392.
However, in a fresh application filed before the court, Senator Akpoti-Uduaghan urged the judge to strike out the case, insisting that the Attorney General acted beyond his constitutional powers. She argued that the prosecution was not initiated in the public interest, but rather to protect the private and political interests of Akpabio and Bello, using public resources.
Quoting Section 174(3) of the 1999 Constitution, she contended that the AGF’s prosecutorial authority must always be exercised in line with public interest, the interest of justice, and the need to prevent abuse of legal process.
“The six-count charge filed on May 22, 2025, was not initiated in the public interest, but to serve the private interests of Senator Godswill Akpabio and former Governor Yahaya Bello,” her application read.
The senator maintained that the allegations were personal and political, offering no benefit to the Nigerian public, and urged the court to dismiss the charges in their entirety.
