Federal Government Withdraws Defamation Case Against Senator Akpoti-Uduaghan

The Federal Government has formally withdrawn the criminal defamation case against Senator Natasha Akpoti-Uduaghan, who represents Kogi Central Senatorial District, effectively ending a politically charged prosecution that drew widespread public attention.

The suit was discontinued following a directive from Senate President Godswill Akpabio, who recently announced he was dropping all defamation cases against individuals, a decision he attributed to spiritual counsel received during a New Year Mass. Akpabio’s Special Adviser on Media and Publicity, Eseme Eyiboh, confirmed the withdrawal on Sunday, stating, “When the Senate President made the decision to withdraw all defamation cases in court, he didn’t say ‘except Natasha’; he said all cases.”

The case originated from petitions submitted by both Senate President Akpabio and former Kogi State Governor Yahaya Bello. Senator Akpoti-Uduaghan was charged with criminal defamation and cyberbullying in connection with comments she allegedly made during a televised interview on Channels Television’s Politics Today, in which she claimed there were plans to eliminate her.

A Notice of Discontinuance, dated December 12, 2025, was filed by the Office of the Attorney-General of the Federation at the Federal High Court in Abuja. The notice, which cites provisions of the Administration of Criminal Justice Act and invokes the court’s inherent powers, brings the proceedings in suit number FHC/ABJ/CR/195/2025 to an end.