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By Lizzy Chirkpi
The Federal High Court in Abuja on Friday found Senator Natasha Akpoti-Uduaghan, who represents Kogi Central Senatorial District, guilty of contempt of court for violating a judicial gag order with a satirical post on her Facebook page.
Justice Binta Nyako, who presided over the matter, delivered the ruling while hearing Akpoti-Uduaghan’s suit challenging her recent suspension from the Senate. The contempt proceedings were initiated through an application filed by Senate President, Godswill Akpabio.
Akpabio alleged that a Facebook post published by the senator on April 27 mocked the Senate’s leadership and violated an earlier court order restraining all parties from making public or social media comments about the ongoing case.
Although Akpoti-Uduaghan’s legal counsel argued that the post referenced a separate issue involving sexual harassment allegations linked to Akpabio and was unrelated to the suspension matter, the court disagreed.
After reviewing the content and circumstances of the post, Justice Nyako ruled that the publication was indeed connected to the subject of the case and therefore constituted contempt.
“The court is satisfied that the publication is related to the subject matter before this court and thus constitutes contempt,” the judge held.
The court ordered the senator to issue a written apology to be published in two national newspapers and reposted on her Facebook page within seven days. In addition, she was fined ₦5 million.
Senator Akpoti-Uduaghan has been embroiled in controversy since her suspension from the Senate earlier this year, following allegations of unparliamentary conduct. She maintains that the suspension was politically motivated and aimed at silencing her criticisms of alleged corruption and gender bias within the National Assembly.
Her April 27 Facebook post, presented in a satirical tone, ridiculed the Senate’s action and was widely circulated online. In it, she offered what many perceived as a sarcastic apology for being a woman who speaks up, a statement believed to reference broader gender issues in Nigerian politics.
The post quickly drew national attention, with reactions split between support for her stance on transparency and criticism over what was perceived as defiance of the judiciary.
As of press time, the senator and her legal team had yet to issue an official response to the ruling. It is not yet clear whether she intends to appeal the judgment or comply with the court’s orders.