The Senate President, Godswill Akpabio, has directed his lawyers to withdraw all pending defamation suits against individuals who had allegedly made false claims against him.
Mr Akpabio gave the directive on Thursday while speaking at the Sacred Heart Parish, Uyo, after listening to a New Year sermon delivered by the parish priest.
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Although he did not mention any names, one of the prominent cases likely to be affected by the decision is the defamation suit he instituted against Kogi Central Senator, Natasha Akpoti-Uduaghan, over allegations of sexual harassment.
The senate president explained that the sermon, which centred on forgiveness, love and letting go of past grievances, deeply moved him.
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“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,” Mr Akpabio said.
In 2025, Mr Akpabio had sued Mrs Akpoti-Uduaghan at the Federal Capital Territory High Court over allegations of sexual harassment she made against him.
The suit, filed on 25 August by his lawyer, S. I. Ameh, SAN, sought N200 billion in general damages and N500 million as litigation costs. He also demanded a public apology and a formal retraction of the allegations in national newspapers.
In addition to that case, Mr Akpabio had filed other defamation suits against the Kogi Central senator over the same allegations. Mrs Akpoti-Uduaghan has denied the allegations nas filed separate suits against the senate president.
Separately, the senate president’s wife, Ekaette Akpabio, also instituted a lawsuit against Mrs Akpoti-Uduaghan, demanding N350 billion in damages for alleged damages to her husband’s reputation.
The Priest’s Sermon
During the service, the Parish Priest of Sacred Heart Parish, Aka, Donatus Udoette, urged worshippers to embrace peace, forgiveness and reconciliation.
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Mr Udoette, who is also the Vicar-General of the Catholic Diocese of Uyo, admonished attendees to let go of past hurts and grievances, stressing that healing and progress come only through forgiveness.
“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,” he admonished.
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