Akpabio Loses Big In Court As Appeal Judges Side With Natasha, Demand ₦100,000 Compensation
In a significant development within Nigeria’s legislative and judicial landscape, the Court of Appeal in Abuja has struck out two motions filed by Senate President Godswill Akpabio in an ongoing legal tussle with Senator Natasha Akpoti-Uduaghan. The appellate court also imposed a ₦100,000 cost penalty in favor of Senator Natasha, further underscoring the gravity of the matter and the court’s stance on procedural compliance and judicial propriety.
The motions, dated March 20 and March 25, 2025, were intended to challenge an earlier ruling by the Federal High Court in Abuja, which barred the Senate Committee on Ethics, Privileges and Public Petitions from investigating or taking any disciplinary action against Senator Natasha Akpoti-Uduaghan. The High Court’s judgment, delivered on March 10, 2025, by Justice Obiora Egwuatu, came in response to Suit No: FHC/ABJ/CS/384/2025. The suit was filed by Senator Natasha following a contentious altercation with the Senate President during a Senate plenary session on February 20, 2025.
Senator Akpabio’s legal team, led by Deborah D. Anyanwu, had approached the appellate court seeking three key reliefs: an extension of time to file an appeal, leave to appeal the High Court’s ruling, and a stay of further proceedings pending the determination of the appeal. These procedural motions formed part of Akpabio’s broader legal effort to contest the restraint placed on the Senate’s disciplinary mechanism.
However, during the appeal hearing, Akpabio’s counsel applied to withdraw both motions without offering an official explanation. The withdrawal was granted by the three-member panel of the Court of Appeal, presided over by Justice Hamma Barka and comprising Justices Adebukunola Banjoko and Okon Abang. Following the application, the panel struck out the motions and ordered the Senate President to pay a ₦100,000 cost to Senator Natasha.
The ruling also directed the deletion of the associated appeal—CA/ABJ/PRE/ROA/CV/395M/2025—from the court’s records. The court’s enrolled order, signed by Deputy Chief Registrar Josephine J. Ekperobe, read: “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.”
Senator Natasha, through her legal representation, had maintained that the Senate’s summons and potential disciplinary actions constituted a violation of due process. Her argument was anchored on the legal principle that no adverse action should be taken while litigation is ongoing. She asked the court to declare that any step taken by the Senate Committee while the case was still pending would be invalid and unenforceable.
Although Akpabio’s legal team did not disclose the rationale behind the sudden withdrawal of the motions, legal observers suggest it may reflect a shift in strategy or an attempt to de-escalate tensions within the legislative body. Others view it as a tacit acknowledgment of the strength of Senator Natasha’s legal arguments and the robustness of the High Court’s restraining order.
The development adds another layer to what appears to be an increasingly fraught relationship between key figures in the Nigerian Senate. With the legal dust yet to fully settle, political analysts will be closely watching the next moves from both camps—whether the matter quietly fades or resurfaces in a new legal or legislative form.
This ruling not only reinforces judicial oversight over legislative conduct but also highlights the critical role of the courts in upholding individual rights against perceived political overreach.
