Ezekwesili, the Jesufu Storm Abuja Court in solidarity when Senator Natasha was charged

Tensions grip the High Court of the Federal Capital City in Maitama on Thursday as a leading civil rights activist, including former Minister of Education Dr. Oby Ezekwesili and the #endsars Aisha Yesufu icon, emerged in solidarity with the Natasha Akpoti-Uuduaghan senator, which was scheduled to be charged.

Senator Akpoti-Uduaghan, who represented Kogi Central, faced a trial on the accusation that he made a fake claim and slandered during a television interview, connecting the President of the Senate Godswill Akpabio and former Governor of the State Kogi Yahaya Bello by planning to kill him.

The trial, submitted by the federal government, was heard before the Chizoba Orji judge.

Akpoti-Uduaghan arrived at the court of court around 10:27 in the morning, accompanied by her husband and legal team. Security around the courtroom appeared to be tightened, with a significant presence of armed operations.

The courtroom, which was filled with observers and supporters, was waiting for the Orji judge session, which was announced by officers to begin at 11:00 in the morning sitting in the gallery were Ezekwesili and Yesufu – two votes that were consistent in defending the rights of the Natasha senator – marking public performances in what had been one of the assigned politically.

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According to the accusation of three counts (CR/297/25) submitted by the Federal Government, the suspected senator was accused of making “imputation, knowing or having a reason to believe that such imputations would endanger a person’s reputation.”

The accusation states that the alleged statement, which was made during his appearance in the ‘Todik Today politics’ television on April 3, was a violation of the 391 Criminal Code, and could be punished based on section 392 of the same law.

The government accused that Akpoti-Uduaghan made a “fake imputation” during a live broadcast by claiming certain political figures planned to kill him. The nominal complaints listed on the lawsuit were the President of the Senate Godswill Akpabio and the former Governor of Yahaya Bello.

Other witnesses who are expected to testify including Senator Asuquo Ekpenyong, and Maya Iliya and Abdulhafiz Garba investigation police officers, and Sandra Duru.

The accusation occurred after the formal petition of Senator Akpoti-Uuduaghan was addressed to the Attorney General Federation, Prince Lateef Fagbemi, San, where he accused the police of bias in investigating his petition of the leadership of the senate.

His legal issues were further exacerbated by the suspension of six months from the Senate, which he challenged before the Federal High Court in Abuja. The court will rule on June 27 regarding the legality of suspension.

The suspension followed a hot exchange during the Senate plenary on February 20, when the Akpoti-Uuduaghan senator protested arbitrarily relocation from his chair. His pressure to increase the point of order, although repeatedly rejected by the President of the Senate, leads to his referral to the Senate Ethics Committee.

In a next television interview on February 28, the senator accused that his misery in the senate began after he refused inappropriate progress from Akpabio – an explosive claim that added fuel to the full political deadlock.

In response, he submitted an ex -parte application before the court, trying to declare disciplinary actions taken by the Senate Committee during the shortage of his lawsuit, including the suspension, as “null and void, and not influential.”

With strong voices such as Ezekwesili and Yesufu on their side, the legal battle of the Akpoti-Oduaghan senator quickly became a wider test case for gender rights, political accountability, and freedom of speech in the Nigerian legislative space.