In a growing political standoff, prominent human rights advocate and Senior Advocate of Nigeria, Femi Falana, has urged Senate President Godswill Akpabio to steer clear of police involvement in what he describes as a strictly civil matter.
The controversy follows a recent petition by Senator Akpabio to the Inspector General of Police, after Senator Natasha Akpoti-Uduaghan made allegations at a political rally implicating him in a purported assassination plot.
Falana, reacting to the development, questioned the appropriateness of involving law enforcement in what appears to be a defamation dispute.
“Allegations of this nature, if believed to be untrue, should be addressed through legal channels—not by engaging the police in politically charged matters,” he cautioned.
The senior lawyer stressed that using the machinery of the state to respond to criticism or accusations undermines the principles of democracy and sets a dangerous precedent.
Falana referenced past judicial pronouncements which warn against deploying state power to stifle dissent or intimidate opposition voices.
“In a democracy, public office holders must tolerate scrutiny. Where comments are considered excessive or damaging, the courts—not security agencies—should be the avenue for redress,” he advised.
He further encouraged Akpabio to pursue a libel case in court if he believes Senator Akpoti-Uduaghan’s remarks were defamatory.
The case has ignited national conversation on the boundaries of free speech, and the increasingly blurred lines between legal redress and political intimidation in Nigeria’s democratic landscape.
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