Akpabio made the announcement during a church programme, admitting that a cleric’s sermon compelled him to reconsider his actions.
Senate President Godswill Akpabio has ordered his legal team to immediately discontinue all ongoing court cases he instituted against individuals accused of defamation, including Senator Natasha Akpoti-Uduaghan and several others.
Akpabio made the announcement during a church programme, admitting that a cleric’s sermon compelled him to reconsider his actions.
“I had almost nine cases in court against some individuals who defamed me, who lied against me, who slandered my name,” he said. “But I listened to the priest and suddenly realized he was talking to me, so I hereby direct my solicitor to withdraw all lawsuits against them.”
The Senate President did not disclose the exact identities or status of the cases, but prior reports by SaharaReporters highlight a legal confrontation between Akpabio and Senator Natasha Akpoti-Uduaghan of Kogi Central.
In December 2025, Akpabio filed a ₦200 billion defamation lawsuit against Akpoti-Uduaghan, accusing her of publishing malicious allegations that he sexually harassed her.
Documents from the High Court of the Federal Capital Territory showed that Akpabio is demanding extensive damages, retractions, and nationwide broadcast apologies, insisting that the senator’s claims severely injured his reputation and subjected him to public ridicule.
Court documents seen by SaharaReporters further showed that Akpabio, through an ex parte application dated December, sought leave to serve court papers on Akpoti-Uduaghan via substituted means, specifically through the Clerk of the National Assembly at the Three Arms Zone, Abuja.
Justice Kekemeke granted the request, allowing the claimant to deliver all originating and subsequent processes, including hearing notices, to any staff in the Clerk’s office.
The suit, accompanied by Motion No. M/12725/2025, revolves around Akpabio’s claim that Natasha’s allegations damaged his reputation.
The suit, which includes a detailed Statement of Claim and a list of witnesses, alleges that Senator Akpoti-Uduaghan’s interviews aired on television, radio and widely circulated online painted the Senate President as a predator who exploited his position for personal gratification.
Akpabio argues that millions of Nigerians consumed the content, creating a wave of backlash that he describes as damaging, humiliating and deeply distressing.
He is asking the court to compel the removal of all online materials containing the allegations and to order an apology broadcast across major media outlets for several consecutive days.
A court order issued on November 6, 2025 granted the claimant permission to serve court processes on Senator Akpoti through the Clerk of the National Assembly after initial attempts at direct service were unsuccessful.
