Senate President Godswill Akpabio has abandoned all legal battles against the lawmaker representing Kogi Senatorial District, Natasha Akpoti-Uduaghan, attributing the move as a deliberate step toward reconciliation and personal restraint.
The move, which effectively ends a series of defamation-related suits, reflects a change in tone from earlier positions that portrayed the disputes as necessary to protect his personal reputation. Instead, Akpabio presented the withdrawal as a conscious choice to prioritise peace over prolonged legal conflict.
Speaking during a New Year church service in Uyo, Akwa Ibom State, on Thursday, Akpabio explained that the lawsuits stemmed from allegations he considered damaging to his public image.
However, he disclosed that a sermon delivered during the service prompted a moment of self-examination that altered his perspective, adding that the message struck a personal chord and forced a reassessment of his actions.
“It felt as though the sermon was directed at me personally,” Akpabio said. “I reflected deeply and realised that continuing with court cases was not the path I wanted to follow.”
He further confirmed that he had instructed his legal team to immediately withdraw all pending cases linked to the dispute, stressing that the decision was rooted in forgiveness rather than capitulation.
“This is not a sign of weakness,” he said. “It is a conscious act of letting go.”
In 2025, Akpabio initiated a series of high-profile defamation lawsuits, including one targeting his Senate colleague, Natasha Akpoti-Uduaghan. Later that year, he filed a N200 billion defamation suit against her over allegations of sexual harassment, which he denied, challenging her to provide evidence in court.
The disputes arose after a breakdown in their relationship, following Akpoti-Uduaghan’s claims that Akpabio had influenced her suspension from the Senate in March 2025, subsequent to her public allegations of misconduct.
