Only the Court can decide my case against Akpabio – Senator Natasha replies Agbakoba
Senator Natasha Akpoti-Uduaghan, representing Kogi Central, has responded to legal expert Olisa Agbakoba (SAN) over her allegation of sexual harassment against Senate President Godswill Akpabio, asserting that only the courts can determine the matter.
In a letter dated April 14, 2025, Agbakoba had asked the senator to retract her allegation and provide evidence to support her claim that Akpabio harassed her on December 8, 2023.
In her formal reply dated April 30, Senator Natasha stated she had not received Agbakoba’s letter through any official channel and rejected any suggestion of intentional silence.
“I place it on formal record that no such letters have ever been served upon me.
The imputation of recalcitrance is therefore inoperative,” she said.
She explained that her earlier silence was due to ongoing litigation, citing the legal principle of lis pendens, which discourages public statements on matters under judicial consideration.
She noted that two cases are currently before the courts: one filed by Akpabio’s wife at the FCT High Court seeking ₦250 billion in damages, and another she filed at the Federal High Court in Abuja to challenge her suspension from the Senate.
While the Abuja case is unrelated to the harassment allegation, Natasha clarified that the suit filed by Akpabio’s wife directly addresses those claims.
She criticized Agbakoba’s conduct, accusing him of seeking to sway public opinion despite previously invoking the sub judice rule to stop a Senate investigation into the matter.
“A litigant may not approbate in the courts and reprobate in the press,” she said.
The senator also alleged that Akpabio violated the principle of fair hearing by overseeing his own case during her suspension.
“Nemo judex in causa sua: no one ought to be judge in his own cause,” she said.
Responding to suggestions that her prior cordiality with Akpabio undermines her allegation, Natasha argued that “civility should not be mistaken for consent or comfort,” stressing the seriousness of power imbalances in professional environments.
She further emphasized that Agbakoba has no constitutional mandate to demand evidence outside of court proceedings.
“A private legal practitioner, however distinguished, is not vested with adjudicatory authority under the Constitution or any statute of the Federal Republic,” she wrote.
Senator Natasha affirmed her commitment to pursuing justice through legal channels, standing by her complaint dated February 28 and the court cases she initiated.
She urged Agbakoba to advise his client on the legal risks of presiding over a matter in which he is directly involved.
She concluded her letter by requesting that any further communication be routed through her legal team.