Prominent Nigerian human rights lawyer, Femi Falana (SAN), has criticized Senate President Godswill Akpabio’s decision to involve the police in a defamation dispute with Senator Natasha Akpoti-Uduaghan. Akpabio filed a petition with the Inspector-General of Police, accusing Akpoti-Uduaghan of making false allegations about an assassination plot against him and seeking her prosecution for criminal defamation and related charges.
Falana contends that the matter is civil in nature and should not be criminalized. He emphasized that public officials should not use state machinery to intimidate political opponents and should instead pursue libel actions in civil courts if they believe their reputations have been harmed .
This dispute follows Akpoti-Uduaghan’s suspension from the Senate after she accused Akpabio of sexual harassment and abuse of office. Falana has also condemned her suspension as illegal and a violation of her constitutional rights, calling for her immediate reinstatement. The escalating tensions between Akpabio and Akpoti-Uduaghan highlight concerns about the use of state power in political conflicts and the importance of upholding civil liberties and due process in Nigeria’s democratic institutions.
