The President of the Senate, Senator Godswill Akpabio, has ordered the withdrawal of all pending lawsuits instituted against Senator Natasha Akpoti-Uduaghan and other individuals, bringing a dramatic turn to the series of high-profile legal battles that dominated political discourse in 2025.
Akpabio disclosed this while speaking publicly at a New Year Mass held at Sacred Heart Parish, Uyo, Akwa Ibom State, where he said the decision followed deep personal reflection and spiritual counsel.
According to the Senate President, he had earlier initiated multiple court actions against individuals he accused of defamation and making false allegations against him.
“I had almost nine cases in court against some individuals who defamed me, who lied against me, who slandered my name. But I listened to the priest and suddenly realized he was talking to me, so I hereby direct my solicitor to withdraw all lawsuits against them,” Akpabio said.
In 2025, Akpabio filed several high-profile defamation suits, including actions against his colleague, Senator Akpoti-Uduaghan, who represents Kogi Central Senatorial District. One of the most controversial cases was a ₦200 billion defamation suit instituted late in 2025 over allegations of sexual harassment, which Akpabio denied and challenged her to substantiate in court.
Earlier in the year, Akpabio’s wife had also filed defamation suits against Akpoti-Uduaghan, over claims she said were damaging to her family’s reputation.
Meanwhile, Akpoti-Uduaghan had earlier disclosed that the Senate President filed the ₦200 billion defamation suit against her at the Federal Capital Territory (FCT) High Court, Abuja.
In a Facebook post, the Kogi lawmaker revealed that the suit was accompanied by a court order issued by Justice U. P. Kekemeke, directing that she be served through substituted means via the Clerk to the National Assembly.
The order, she said, was issued on November 6, with the case scheduled to commence on January 21, 2026.
Akpoti-Uduaghan maintained that the legal action would afford her the opportunity to prove her claims.
“Today, being the 5th day of December, 2025, I’m in receipt of the newly instituted ₦200 billion suit against me by Senator Godswill Akpabio claiming defamation on sexual harassment,” she wrote.
Relations between the two lawmakers had deteriorated sharply after Akpoti-Uduaghan accused Akpabio of influencing her suspension from the Senate in March 2025, following her public allegations of misconduct.
She had also challenged actions taken against her in court, including a ₦100 billion defamation suit she filed against Akpabio and others over remarks she said damaged her reputation.
With the latest announcement, Akpabio has moved to formally end all pending legal disputes arising from the defamation claims, signalling a possible closure to the widely publicised litigations as the new year begins.
