The Court of Appeal, Abuja Division, on May 21, 2025, struck out two motions filed by Senate President Godswill Akpabio and awarded ₦100,000 in costs against him in favour of Senator Natasha Akpoti-Uduaghan.
A three-member panel led by Justice Hamman Barka issued the ruling after Akpabio sought to withdraw his appeal challenging an earlier Federal High Court decision.
The motions, dated March 3 and March 25, 2025, and marked CV/395/M1/2025 and CV/395/M2/2025, respectively, listed Akpabio as the appellant. The respondents included Senator Akpoti-Uduaghan, the Clerk of the National Assembly, the Senate, and Senator Neda Imasuem, Chairman of the Senate Committee on Ethics, Privileges, and Public Petitions.
Akpabio had requested the court to extend the time to appeal and to grant leave to challenge the March 10, 2025, ruling of Justice Obiora Egwuatu of the Federal High Court in Suit No: FHC/ABJ/CS/384/2025. He also sought a stay of proceedings in the case pending the outcome of the appeal.
However, in a certified true copy of the ruling obtained by PUNCH Online on Tuesday night, the appellate court granted the withdrawal of the motions and subsequently struck them out.
“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,” the court ruled.
