In a dramatic legal turn, the Court of Appeal sitting in Abuja has struck out two motions filed by Senate President Godswill Akpabio in his case against Senator Natasha Akpoti-Uduaghan and three others. The court also ordered Akpabio to pay ₦100,000 in costs to the first respondent.
The ruling was delivered on May 21, 2025, by a three-member panel of justices led by Justice Hamman Barka, following Akpabio’s request to withdraw the motions. The Court granted the application and struck out both motions—dated March 3, 2025, and March 25, 2025, and marked CV/395/M1/2025 and CV/395/M2/2025, respectively.
A certified true copy of the ruling, obtained Tuesday night, confirms that the appeal stemmed from a Federal High Court judgment delivered by Justice Obiora Egwuatu on March 10, 2025, in the case filed by Senator Natasha Akpoti-Uduaghan against the Clerk of the National Assembly, the Senate, and Senator Neda Imasuem, Chairman of the Senate Committee on Ethics, Privileges, and Public Petitions.
In the withdrawn motions, Akpabio had sought four key reliefs:
- An order to extend the time within which he could apply for leave to appeal against the March 10 Federal High Court ruling.
- Leave to appeal the same ruling on grounds of mixed law and fact.
- Permission to file his Notice of Appeal outside the prescribed period.
- A stay of proceedings at the Federal High Court pending the outcome of the intended appeal.
But the appellate court was having none of it.
In its brief but decisive ruling, the Court stated:
“Application seeking to withdraw the two motions dated and filed on 20/3/2025 and 25/3/2025 is granted and the motions are struck out.
Costs of ₦100,000 are awarded to the 1st Respondent. Appeal No. CA/ABJ/PRE/ROA/CV/395M/2025 to be deleted.”
With the motions dismissed and costs imposed, the case signals a legal and political setback for Akpabio, who has faced increasing scrutiny over his conduct both in court and within the Red Chamber.
While Akpabio’s legal retreat may have temporarily paused the confrontation, analysts suggest the matter is far from over. The ruling adds weight to Senator Natasha’s ongoing pursuit of institutional accountability, while placing Nigeria’s Senate President under the harsh spotlight of judicial rebuke.
📌 Further developments expected as parties consider their next legal moves.
