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From Adesuwa Tsan, Abuja
Senate President, Godswill Akpabio, has directed his legal team to withdraw all pending defamation suits he instituted against several individuals, citing a personal decision influenced by a New Year homily.
Akpabio made the disclosure yesterday at a New Year Mass at the Sacred Heart Parish, Uyo, Akwa Ibom State, where he said he had reconsidered his resort to litigation after listening to the sermon delivered by the parish priest.
According to him, the defamation cases, which numbered close to nine, were filed against individuals he accused of lying against him and damaging his reputation, but he had now resolved to let go.
“I had almost nine cases in court against some individuals who defamed me, who lied against me, who slandered my name.
“But I listened to the priest and suddenly realised he was talking to me, so I hereby direct my solicitors to withdraw all lawsuits against them.”
Suits affected by the decision is the highly publicised N200 billion defamation case involving Senator Natasha Akpoti-Uduaghan, representing Kogi Central Senatorial District, who had accused him of sexual harassment.
In December 2025, Akpabio filed a N200 billion defamation suit at the Federal Capital Territory (FCT) high court in Abuja against Natasha Akpoti-Uduaghan, senator representing Kogi central, over sexual harassment allegations made against him.
In February, Akpoti-Uduaghan, in an interview on Arise TV, alleged that the senate president made sexual advances at her in his office and residence in Akwa Ibom.
Natasha alleged that her trouble in the senate began after she rejected sexual advances from Akpabio. The Senate president has repeatedly denied the allegations.
Prior to the allegations, Akpabio and Akpoti-Uduaghan had engaged in a heated debate on the floor of the upper legislative chamber over a change in seating arrangements.
In his homily, the Parish Priest of Sacred Heart Parish, Aka, and Vicar-General of the Catholic Diocese of Uyo, the Very Reverend Father Donatus Udoette, emphasised the importance of peace, forgiveness and reconciliation.
“The greatest thing that man needs is peace,” Udoette said, urging parishioners to live in harmony with one another.
“You have to let go of the past, no matter what it was. All of us carry some luggage of pain and hurt. You have to let go if you want to move on.”
