The Court of Appeal in Abuja has struck out two motions filed by the Senate President, Godswill Akpabio, and ordered him to pay ₦100,000 in costs to Senator Natasha Akpoti-Uduaghan.
According to The PUNCH, in a certified ruling dated May 21, 2025, and obtained on Tuesday, a three-member panel led by Justice Hamman Barka granted Akpabio’s application to withdraw the motions and consequently dismissed them.
The motions, marked CV/395/M1/2025 and CV/395/M2/2025 and dated March 20 and 25 respectively, were filed in relation to a Federal High Court judgment delivered on March 10, 2025, in the case between Senator Natasha Akpoti-Uduaghan and the Clerk of the National Assembly, the Senate, and Senator Neda Imasuen, Chairman of the Senate Committee on Ethics, Privileges, and Public Petitions.
Akpabio had sought several reliefs, including an extension of time to seek leave to appeal against the Federal High Court’s ruling on grounds of mixed law and fact. He also requested the court to stay proceedings in the lower court pending the determination of the appeal.
However, in its ruling, the appellate court held, “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.”
The court further stated: “Costs of ₦100,000 are awarded to the 1st respondent. Appeal No. CA/ABJ/PRE/ROA/CV/395M/2025 to be deleted.”
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The withdrawal effectively ends Akpabio’s legal push to challenge the lower court’s decision in the suit initiated by Senator Akpoti-Uduaghan. The reason for the sudden withdrawal was not disclosed in the ruling.
Efforts to reach representatives of either party for comments were unsuccessful at the time of filing this report.
