Former Minister of Education, Obiageli Ezekwesili, has called on President Bola Tinubu to immediately withdraw the criminal charges filed by the Federal Government against Senator Natasha Akpoti-Uduaghan.
In a statement posted on her verified X account on Saturday, Ezekwesili described the move as a dangerous abuse of power and a “shameful violation of democratic principles.”
The Federal Government, through the Attorney General of the Federation, Lateef Fagbemi, filed charges against Senator Akpoti-Uduaghan (Kogi Central) for defamation.
The charges stem from her comments during a live broadcast on Channels Television on April 3, 2025, in which she accused Senate President Godswill Akpabio and former Kogi State Governor Yahaya Bello of conspiring to assassinate her.
In a public memo shared via social media, Ezekwesili accused the Tinubu administration of colluding with the Senate President to silence a “citizen crying out for justice.”
Senator Akpoti-Uduaghan has recently accused the Senate President of sexual harassment and has filed multiple petitions over threats to her life.
Ezekwesili said the charges against Akpoti-Uduaghan reflect a pattern of “state capture” and urged President Tinubu to reverse course before the situation escalates further.
“The criminal charges filed by the Federal Government against Senator Akpoti-Uduaghan are an act of gross irresponsibility, illegality, and irrationality. You must take responsibility for this desecration of our democracy,” Ezekwesili wrote.
