Senator Natasha Akpoti-Uduaghan has rejected a court judgment awarding N1 billion in damages to former Kogi State Governor Yahaya Bello, declaring she will not pay him a single naira.
Akpoti, who represents Kogi East in the Senate, said the judgment was unjust and that she stands by the statements she made about Bello. She dismissed the award as unenforceable and pledged to challenge it through every legal avenue available to her.
The damages were awarded following a defamation suit Bello filed against the senator over comments she made publicly regarding his tenure as governor. Bello had sought N5 billion in damages but the court reduced this to N1 billion.
Akpoti told journalists that her criticism of Bello's administration was based on facts and public interest, and that she would not be intimidated by court judgments she considers politically motivated. She said the former governor used the courts to silence opposition voices rather than address the substantive allegations against his governance.
The senator indicated her legal team would file an appeal against the judgment immediately. She called on Nigerians to be vigilant about the use of defamation suits as a tool to suppress legitimate political discourse and hold public figures accountable.
Bello's media office has not yet responded to Akpoti's rejection of the judgment. The case represents one of several legal battles between the former governor and political opponents since he left office in 2020. Akpoti's legal team is expected to file the appeal within the next 30 days, as permitted by the rules of court.
