Natasha – Appeal Court Dismisses Akpabio’s Motions and Imposes ₦100,000 Fine

The Court of Appeal, Abuja Division, has struck out two motions filed by Senate President Godswill Akpabio and imposed a ₦100,000 fine on him.

A three-member panel, led by Justice Hamman Barka, struck out the motions on May 21, 2025, following a request for withdrawal of the appeal. The court’s decision was disclosed on Tuesday evening through a certified true copy of the ruling.

The motions, dated March 3, 2025, and March 25, 2025, were marked CV/395/M1/2025 and CV/395/M2/2025, with Akpabio listed as the appellant. The respondents in the case included Senator Natasha 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.

In the appeal, Akpabio had sought several reliefs, including requests for an extension of time to seek leave to appeal a decision of the Federal High Court, Abuja, in the case of Senator Natasha Akpoti-Uduaghan v. Clerk of the National Assembly, which was delivered on March 10, 2025. He also sought leave to appeal the decision and a stay of further proceedings in the matter until the appeal was heard.

The Court, in its ruling, granted the request to withdraw the motions and struck them out, awarding costs of ₦100,000 to the first respondent. The appeal was officially dismissed and removed from the court’s record.