From Ameh Ochojila, Abuja
Senator Onyekachi Nwaebonyi (Ebonyi North) may be facing battles on all fronts. While suspended Senator Natasha Akpoti-Uduaghan (Kogi Central) is suing him for defamation, a group from his constituency is plotting his recall from the red chamber.
Akpoti-Uduaghan is dragging him before the High Court of the Federal Capital Territory (FCT), Abuja, over a series of alleged defamatory remarks, demanding N5 billion in aggravated and exemplary damages.
The leadership of a foremost governance and accountability group, Association of Ebonyi Indigenes, Socio-Cultural in the Diaspora (AEISCID) sent a strong warning to Nwaebonyi over his vituperative utterances and attacks on eminent personalities in the sex scandal involving Senate President Godswill Akpabio and Akpoti-Uduaghan.
In a writ of summons dated April 7, 2025, the Kogi senator accused Nwaebonyi of making several “false, malicious and injurious” statements against her during televised interviews on Channels TV, Arise News and YouTube.
The comments, according to Akpoti-Uduaghan, gravely tarnished her reputation and subjected her to national and international ridicule.
Among the specific claims are accusations made by Nwaebonyi on Channels TV’s ‘Sunrise Daily’ on March 6, 2025, where he reportedly described Akpoti-Uduaghan as a “gold-digger”, “habitual liar”, and “habitual blackmailer.”
The claimant contends that these labels are not only defamatory but also designed to lower her standing in the public eye.
In a separate appearance on Arise News on March 3, 2025, Nwaebonyi called Akpoti-Uduaghan “a mother of six from different men”, a claim the Kogi senator says is completely false and malicious, calculated to question her morality and diminish her public esteem.
Further inflammatory comments allegedly made by Nwaebonyi in a YouTube interview dated March 27, 2025, include assertions that Akpoti-Uduaghan’s marriage was the product of blackmail and that she once accused a former presidential aide, Reno Omokri, of sexual harassment under questionable circumstances.
However, Akpoti-Uduaghan, through her counsel, Michael Numa, is seeking 11 reliefs from the court, including that the statements are defamatory, an order for retraction and public apology in at least two national dailies, a perpetual injunction barring further publications, as well as a N5 billion monetary award and an additional N100 million for the cost of the action.
She is also requesting post-judgment interest at the rate of 10 per cent yearly until the judgment sum is fully paid.
The matter is yet to be assigned to a judge.
IN a statement yesterday in Abuja, AEISCID President (Worldwide), Paschal Oluchukwu, described Nwaebonyi’s utterances, conducts and actions as “totally unparliamentary, unwholesome and unbecoming of a legislator by every known standard.”
Oluchukwu, who warned that Nwaebonyi’s continuous media voyages, uncomplimentary remarks and general toutish disposition to those calling out the Senate President over the allegations against him by Akpoti-Uduaghan clearly shows that he does not understand his clearly-spelt-out duty as a legislator in the red chamber.
He stated: “We have watched, read and listened deeply with concerning compunctions, the heedless vibrations of one of our sons, Sen Onyekachi Nwaebonyi, who represents the Ebonyi North at the 10th National Assembly. Like the rest of Nigerians who have watched with reservations how an ordinarily ‘distinguished senator’ verbally attacks any and everyone including but not limited to Nigeria’s former Minister of Education and foremost women advocate, Dr Oby Ezekwesili, other respected Nigerians and the character of the alleged victim, Akpoti-Uduaghan since the allegations of sexual harassment against the nation’s number three citizen came to the fore.
“Ordinarily, we had contemplated letting the matter to gently slide, but we are forced to speak up due to the continuous media umbrages of our brother, Nwaebonyi, who appears to have completely forgotten that he was elected to make laws for the benefit of his constituents and to attract other such dividends of democracy while yet carrying himself in a most distinguished and honourable way as a lawmaker.
“For whatever it is worth, the voyages of Nwaebonyi in defence of the accused, almost crying more than the bereaved, leaves so much to be desired and therefore has left Ebonyiansutterly ashamed of his ‘undignifying’ behaviour to the extent that we fall short of labelling him ‘an attack dog’.”
The group urged Ebonyi North constituents to immediately begin his recall process should he indulge himself again in such a disgraceful expedition of defending the National Assembly leader in such a way and manner he had so far done.
“Enough should be enough already,” the statement declared.
