Mathew Amaechi
The Court of Appeal in Abuja has struck out two motions filed by Senate President Godswill Akpabio and ordered him to pay ₦100,000 in costs to Senator Natasha Akpoti-Uduaghan.
A three-member panel, led by Justice Hamman Barka, delivered the ruling on May 21, 2025, after Akpabio moved to withdraw his motions. The decision came to light Tuesday night following the release of a certified true copy of the judgment.
Akpabio had approached the appellate court seeking multiple orders, including leave to appeal a Federal High Court judgment delivered on March 10, 2025, in a case filed by Senator Akpoti-Uduaghan against the Clerk of the National Assembly and others. He also sought a stay of proceedings in the high court pending the outcome of his appeal.
The two motions—filed on March 20 and March 25, 2025—were marked CV/395/M1/2025 and CV/395/M2/2025. The respondents in the case were Akpoti-Uduaghan, the Clerk of the National Assembly, the Senate itself, and Senator Neda Imasuen, who chairs the Senate Committee on Ethics, Privileges, and Public Petitions.
In its terse ruling, the appellate court said:
“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.”
The court did not provide further reasoning for the cost but signaled a clear disapproval of the withdrawn motions by attaching the monetary sanction.
This development marks another chapter in the ongoing legal contest involving Senator Akpoti-Uduaghan and key figures in the National Assembly, including its presiding officer.
