The Federal High Court in Abuja has found Senator Natasha Akpoti-Uduaghan, representing Kogi Central, guilty of contempt of court over a Facebook post made on April 27. The post, which was satirical in nature, was deemed to have violated an earlier court order restraining all parties from discussing her suspension case in the media or on social platforms.
The contempt application was filed by Senate President Godswill Akpabio, who argued that the senator’s social media post contravened the court’s gag order. Akpoti-Uduaghan’s legal team countered that the post was unrelated to her suspension and instead referenced allegations of sexual harassment involving Akpabio. However, Justice Binta Nyako ruled that the post was indeed connected to the ongoing suspension case and amounted to contempt.
As a consequence, Justice Nyako ordered Akpoti-Uduaghan to issue a public apology both on her Facebook page and in two national newspapers within seven days. Additionally, she was fined N5 million for violating the court’s directive.
