Akpabio Moved By Sermon, Withdraws Lawsuits Against Natasha, Others

Senate President Godswill Akpabio has directed his legal team to immediately withdraw all defamation cases he filed against various individuals after a sermon by a Catholic priest.

Akpabio made this known during a church programme, where he told the congregation that the message delivered by the cleric caused him to reflect on his actions and reconsider his resort to litigation.

According to him, he had instituted close to nine court cases against people he accused of defaming and slander but decided to discontinue all of them after the sermon.

“I had almost nine cases in court against some individuals who defamed me, who lied against me, who slandered my name,” Akpabio said.

“But I listened to the priest and suddenly realised he was talking to me, so I hereby direct my solicitor to withdraw all lawsuits against them,” he said.

The Senate President did not provide details of the specific cases affected by his decision.

However, one of the most prominent suits involves Senator Natasha Akpoti-Uduaghan, who represents Kogi Central Senatorial District.

In December 2025, Akpabio filed a N200bn defamation suit against Akpoti-Uduaghan at the High Court of the Federal Capital Territory, Abuja.

He accused her of making false and malicious allegations that he sexually harassed her, claims he said gravely damaged his reputation.

Akpabio had sought several reliefs, including substantial damages, public retractions and apologies to be broadcast nationwide. He argued that the allegations exposed him to public ridicule and severe harm.

The Senate President also applied for substituted service of court processes on Akpoti-Uduaghan after efforts at personal service reportedly failed.

Justice U. P. Kekemeke granted the request, permitting service through the Clerk of the National Assembly at the Three Arms Zone, Abuja.

In the suit, Akpabio argued that interviews granted by Akpoti-Uduaghan and aired on television, radio and online platforms portrayed him as abusing his office for personal gratification. He maintained that the content was consumed by millions of Nigerians and triggered backlash, which he described as humiliating.

He further asked the court to order the removal of all online materials related to the allegations and to mandate repeated apology broadcasts across major media platforms.