Senate President Godswill Akpabio has firmly denied claims that he recently initiated a new N200 billion lawsuit against Senator Natasha Akpoti-Uduaghan, describing the reports as “misleading and incorrect.”
The rebuttal comes in response to a statement by Senator Akpoti-Uduaghan alleging that the Senate President had “just filed” the massive defamation suit against her.
In a statement issued on Saturday by his Special Assistant on Media, Jackson Udom, Akpabio clarified that the legal action was filed over three months ago.
Udom stated that the case’s progress was subject to standard judicial and administrative delays, and that the senator had repeatedly evaded personal service of the court documents.
โUpon the resumption of judicial activities on the file, several attempts were made by the courtโs bailiff to personally serve Senator Akpoti-Uduaghan with the originating processes.
“Each attempt failed due to her deliberate evasion of serviceโฆ Only after these repeated evasions did the court, in November this year, grant the application for substituted service”, the statement read.
The Senate President’s media office emphasised that the matter is a long-standing legal process, not a new development.
โHer claim that the matter was โjust filedโ is therefore false, misleading, and intended to distort public understanding of the case,โ Udom added.
Akpabio’s statement urged for the dispute to be settled through proper legal channels, criticizing the use of social media for “orchestrated narratives and staged outrage.”
โThe law is guided by proof, procedure, and due process, not sentiment, not emotion, and certainly not social-media theatrics,โ the statement concluded. โShe is advised to properly instruct her lawyers, file her defence, and finally provide the evidence she purports to have.โ
The legal feud stems from earlier allegations made by Senator Akpoti-Uduaghan against the Senate President. This latest exchange highlights the ongoing tension between the two political figures.
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