By The President of the Senate, Senator Godswill Akpabio, has instructed his legal team to withdraw all outstanding lawsuits filed against his colleague, Senator Natasha Akpoti-Uduaghan, and others.
Akpabio announced this publicly during a New Year’s mass at Sacred Heart Parish in Uyo, Akwa Ibom State. He explained that the decision came after profound personal reflection and spiritual counsel received at the service.
According to the Senate President, he had previously initiated multiple court actions against individuals he accused of defamation and spreading false allegations about him.
“I had almost nine cases in court against some individuals who defamed me, who lied against me, who slandered my name,” Akpabio stated. “But I listened to the priest and suddenly realised he was talking to me, so I hereby direct my solicitor to withdraw all lawsuits against them.”
In 2025, Akpabio had filed several high-profile defamation suits. Most notably, in late 2025, he instituted a ₦200 billion lawsuit against Senator Akpoti-Uduaghan concerning allegations of sexual harassment, which he denied and challenged her to prove in court. Earlier in the year, Akpabio’s wife had also filed separate defamation suits against the Kogi Central senator over claims she said harmed her family’s reputation.
Senator Akpoti-Uduaghan had previously disclosed that the ₦200 billion suit was filed at the Federal Capital Territory (FCT) High Court in Abuja. In a Facebook post, she noted that a court order from Justice U.P. Kekemeke, issued on 6 November, had directed service via substituted means through the Clerk to the National Assembly. The case was scheduled to commence on 21 January 2026.
Akpoti-Uduaghan had said the legal action would provide her an opportunity to substantiate her claims.
Relations between the two parliamentarians soured after Akpoti-Uduaghan accused Akpabio of influencing her suspension from the Senate in March 2025, which followed her public allegations of misconduct. She had also filed a ₦100 billion defamation countersuit against Akpabio and others over remarks she claimed damaged her reputation.
With Thursday’s announcement, Akpabio has moved to formally end all pending legal disputes stemming from the defamation claims, signalling a potential closure to the widely publicised litigations as the new year begins.
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