BY AWELE OGBOGU
The N250 billion defamation suit filed by Unoma Akpabio, wife of the Senate President, Godswill Akpabio, against Senator Natasha Akpoti-Uduaghan at the Federal Capital Territory (FCT) High Court, Abuja, is not actionable, some lawyers have argued. The Senate, on Thursday, suspended the senator for six months.
A legal luminary in Asaba, Barr. Kelvin Mene, who bared his mind on the potential legal battle, said “Defamation is not a class action, therefore, Mrs. Akpabio cannot sue Akpoti-Uduaghan based on the allegation leveled against her husband”, insisting that the individual involved has to either own up to the charges or put up a defense, but not through a proxy.
The legal action follows recent claims by Akpoti-Uduaghan, who represents Kogi Central, that her troubles in the Senate started following her refusal to have a sexual relationship with the Senate President.
Recall that in two separate law suits, the first being suit No. CV/814/25 borders on fundamental rights violation in which Mrs. Akpabio accused the senator of making false and scandalous statements that caused emotional trauma for her and her children, leaving them in fear for their lives. In a separate defamation suit, CV/816/25, Mrs. Akpabio challenged the senator’s claim that her husband made sexual advances towards her.
But Barr. Mene said Mrs. Akpabio has no locus standi in the matter, while providing a distinction between class and individual action. “It was Akpabio, the Senate President himself that was allegedly defamed, not his wife or family.”
“If you say, for instance, that all journalists are thieves, an individual journalist cannot take it upon himself to sue on behalf of all other journalists. A family cannot sue just because another family member was allegedly insulted. That is why I said that class action is not actionable.”
He said that “Mrs. Akpabio saying that Senator Natasha Akpoti-Uduaghan by her allegations, brought her family into disrepute and public shame, as well as caused untold pain and emotional trauma to her and her family members is a class action which is not actionable in law.” The court is yet to fix a date for hearing.
