The Court of Appeal in Abuja has dismissed two motions filed by Senate President Godswill Akpabio and ordered him to pay ₦100,000 to Senator Natasha Akpoti-Uduaghan as costs.
A three-member panel of the court, led by Justice Hamman Barka, delivered the ruling on 21st May, striking out the motions after Akpabio’s legal team applied to withdraw them.
In the court’s words: “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.”
Akpabio had approached the appellate court asking for more time to challenge a decision delivered by the Federal High Court in Abuja on 10th March. That judgment was in a suit filed by Senator Natasha Akpoti-Uduaghan against the Clerk of the National Assembly and others, including the Chairman of the Senate Committee on Ethics, Privileges, and Public Petitions.
In the withdrawn motions, Akpabio sought permission to appeal against the High Court ruling on what he called “grounds of mixed law and fact.” He also asked the Court of Appeal to pause ongoing proceedings at the lower court until his appeal could be heard.
The motions, marked CV/395/M1/2025 and CV/395/M2/2025, were both filed in March and listed Akpabio as the appellant. But with their withdrawal and the court’s striking them out, that legal move has effectively come to an end.
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