The Abuja Division of the Court of Appeal has struck out two motions filed by Senate President Godswill Akpabio and ordered him to pay a ₦100,000 fine.
A three-judge panel led by Justice Hamman Barka delivered the ruling on May 21, 2025, after Akpabio requested to withdraw his appeal.
According to a certified copy of the ruling obtained Tuesday night, the motions—dated March 3 and March 25, 2025—were filed under suit numbers CV/395/M1/2025 and CV/395/M2/2025. Akpabio was listed as the appellant, while the respondents included Senator Natasha Akpoti-Uduaghan, the Clerk of the National Assembly, the Senate, and Senator Neda Imasuen, Chairman of the Senate Committee on Ethics, Privileges, and Public Petitions.
In the motions, Akpabio sought court approval to appeal a Federal High Court ruling delivered on March 10, 2025, by Justice Obiora Egwuatu in suit FHC/ABJ/CS/384/2025.
His requests included an extension of time to seek leave to appeal, permission to file the appeal, and a stay of proceedings in the lower court case pending the outcome of his appeal.
However, the Court of Appeal granted his request to withdraw the motions and struck them out. It also awarded a cost of ₦100,000 in favor of the first respondent, Senator Akpoti-Uduaghan.
The court further directed that Appeal No. CA/ABJ/PRE/ROA/CV/395M/2025 be deleted from its records.