The Court of Appeal in Abuja has struck out two motions filed by Senate President Godswill Akpabio in a legal tussle with Senator Natasha Akpoti-Uduaghan and awarded ₦100,000 in costs against him. The motions, dated March 20 and 25, 2025, sought to challenge an earlier ruling by the Federal High Court that barred the Senate Committee on Ethics, Privileges, and Public Petitions from initiating disciplinary action against Akpoti-Uduaghan.
Naijaonpoint reports that the Kogi Central senator had instituted Suit No. FHC/ABJ/CS/384/2025 following a contentious exchange with the Senate President during a plenary session held on February 20, 2025. In response, Akpabio’s legal team approached the appellate court seeking:
However, during the appellate court’s sitting, Akpabio’s counsel, Deborah D. Anyanwu, moved to withdraw the motions without providing a reason. The three-member panel, led by Justice Hamma Barka, with Justices Adebukunola Banjoko and Okon Abang concurring, granted the request, struck out the motions, and ordered the removal of the associated appeal (CA/ABJ/PRE/ROA/CV/395M/2025) from the court’s records.
The court also awarded ₦100,000 in legal costs to Senator Akpoti-Uduaghan. According to the enrolled order signed by Deputy Chief Registrar Josephine J. Ekperobe:
“Application seeking to withdraw the two motions dated and filed on the 20/3/2025 and 25/3/2025 is granted and same struck out. Cost of ₦100,000 awarded to the 1st Respondent.”
Akpoti-Uduaghan had earlier secured a Federal High Court order restraining any disciplinary actions against her pending the determination of the suit, arguing that the Senate committee’s summons and proceedings violated her rights and due process.
In a swift reaction, Dr. Monday O. Ubani, SAN, Legal Adviser to the President of the Senate, dismissed media interpretations that the court ruling amounted to a loss for Akpabio. He stated that the interlocutory appeal was withdrawn because it had become legally redundant.
Ubani explained that Senator Akpoti-Uduaghan’s original suit, challenging the summons by the Senate Committee on Ethics, was initially heard by Justice Egwuatu, who granted interim orders. Disagreements later arose over the sequencing of preliminary objections and the substantive matter. While Senator Natasha’s legal team argued for all applications to be heard together, counsel for the National Assembly insisted that preliminary objections should be heard first.
Justice Egwuatu chose to hear all applications jointly—a decision that Akpabio’s legal team appealed through the interlocutory motions now struck out.
However, according to Ubani, Justice Egwuatu eventually vacated the interim orders and recused himself. The case was reassigned to Justice Binta Nyako, who took a more structured approach by agreeing to hear all applications but prioritizing the preliminary objections and contempt proceedings before addressing the substantive issues. Judgment has since been reserved for June 27, 2025.
Ubani emphasized that with Justice Egwuatu no longer on the case and all applications having already been heard, the appeal against his procedural ruling had become academic.
“Continuing with the appeal would have been legally unnecessary and tactically unwise. Who would we be appealing against? Justice Egwuatu has recused himself,” he stated.
He criticized media outlets and bloggers for presenting the withdrawal as a legal victory for Senator Akpoti-Uduaghan, describing the reports as misleading and politically motivated.
“Let the truth be told: no appeal was ‘dismissed on its merits’. The motion was withdrawn by the appellants themselves because it had become irrelevant,” Ubani asserted.
“The sensationalism peddled by Natasha’s online proxies may win the battle of hashtags, but it will not stand the test of judicial scrutiny.”