A Federal High Court in Abuja has fined Senator Natasha Akpoti-Uduaghan N5 million for contempt, following what it described as a satirical apology directed at Senate President Godswill Akpabio, in defiance of a court order.
Justice Binta Nyako, who delivered the ruling, held that Akpoti-Uduaghan violated a gag order placed on both parties by publishing the controversial apology on her Facebook page on April 7. The post, the court said, made a mockery of its directive.
The court ordered the senator to issue a formal apology within seven days in two national newspapers and on her Facebook page.
The decision came in the wake of a contempt application filed by Senator Akpabio. However, the court declined to grant any relief in his favor.
In a related development, the court also delivered judgment in a separate suit filed by Akpoti-Uduaghan, seeking to overturn the six-month suspension imposed on her by the Senate.
