Senate President Godswill Akpabio and former Kogi State Governor Yahaya Bello will serve as prosecution witnesses in the defamation trial of suspended Senator Natasha Akpoti-Uduaghan at the Federal Capital Territory High Court in Abuja.
The Federal Government filed charges against the Kogi Central Senator on May 16, accusing her of making “defamatory imputations” during a live television interview where she alleged that Akpabio and Bello conspired to assassinate her.
The charges, filed under Section 391 of the Penal Code Law, stem from explosive allegations made by Akpoti-Uduaghan on April 3, 2025, during Channels Television’s Politics Today programme.
According to court documents, the senator claimed: “It was part of the meeting, the discussions that Akpabio had with Yahaya Bello that night to eliminate me. 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.”
The prosecution argues that Akpoti-Uduaghan made these statements “knowing or having reason to believe” they would damage the reputation of both Akpabio and Bello, with the offense punishable under Section 392 of the Penal Code.
The suspended senator has been embroiled in controversy since her March 6 suspension from the Senate for alleged gross misconduct, which originated from a seating arrangement dispute with Senate President Akpabio.
Both Akpabio and Bello are listed as key witnesses who will testify against the embattled senator during the upcoming trial proceedings.
