By peterside Rejoice Eneky
The Court of Appeal in Abuja has struck out two motions filed by Senate President Godswill Akpabio and imposed a fine of N100,000 against him in favour of Senator Natasha Akpoti-Uduaghan. The decision was handed down by a three-member panel of justices led by Justice Hamman Barka on May 21, 2025.
Akpabio had approached the appellate court in an attempt to challenge a judgment delivered by the Federal High Court in Abuja on March 10, 2025. That ruling, given by Justice Obiora Atuegwu Egwuatu, was in respect of a suit filed by Senator Natasha Akpoti-Uduaghan against the Clerk of the National Assembly, the Senate, and two others.
In his motions, which were dated March 3 and March 25, 2025, Akpabio sought several procedural and substantive reliefs that would have allowed him to file an appeal against the lower court’s ruling. These motions were registered under suit numbers CV/395/M1/2025 and CV/395/M2/2025.
The legal battle stemmed from Akpoti-Uduaghan’s challenge of certain decisions and actions within the National Assembly, and Akpabio, in response, sought to delay further proceedings and obtain the court’s permission to file an appeal on grounds that involved a mix of law and fact. However, before the Court of Appeal could take up the substance of his motions, Akpabio filed an application to withdraw them.
In delivering its ruling, the court granted the application for withdrawal and struck out both motions. It did not stop there.
The panel, led by Justice Barka, imposed a cost of N100,000 against Akpabio, ordering that the amount be paid to the first respondent, Senator Akpoti-Uduaghan.
Additionally, the court directed that the related appeal file, identified as CA/ABJ/PRE/ROA/CV/395M/2025, be deleted.
Justice Barka stated clearly in the ruling that the motions dated and filed on March 20 and March 25 had been struck out based on the application for withdrawal, and costs were awarded accordingly.
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