APPEAL COURT STRIKES OUT AKPABIO’S MOTIONS IN NATASHA SUSPENSION CASE, IMPOSES ₦100,000 FINE

In a fresh twist to the legal face-off between Senate President Godswill Akpabio and Senator Natasha Akpoti-Uduaghan, the Court of Appeal in Abuja has dismissed two interlocutory motions filed by Akpabio, imposing a ₦100,000 cost against him. The motions—filed on March 3 and March 25, 2025—were part of Akpabio’s attempt to challenge the Federal High Court’s ruling that declared Senator Natasha’s suspension from the Senate unconstitutional. However, at the resumed hearing on June 11, 2025, Akpabio’s legal team opted to withdraw the motions. In response, the appellate court struck them out and awarded costs in favour of the respondent. Senator Akpoti-Uduaghan had been suspended for six months in March following allegations of misconduct during a Senate plenary session. Her suspension sparked outrage among rights groups, who condemned the move as unlawful and a violation of her constituents’ right to representation. Justice Inyang Ekwo, in an earlier judgment, ruled that the suspension lacked constitutional backing and violated her fundamental rights, but Akpabio and the Senate had continued to delay her reinstatement through legal manoeuvres. The appeal court’s dismissal of Akpabio’s motions is now being viewed as a legal setback for the Senate leadership, potentially clearing the path for Natasha’s full reinstatement—if the court’s main ruling is finally enforced. While no official statement has come from Akpabio’s camp, observers say the decision undercuts his position in the matter and strengthens the case for Senator Natasha’s return to the red chambers.