ABUJA – The Court of Appeal in Abuja has dismissed two interlocutory motions filed by Senate President Godswill Akpabio in connection with the case challenging the six-month suspension of Senator Natasha Akpoti-Uduaghan, who represents Kogi Central.

A three-member panel of the appellate court, led by Justice Hamman Barka, unanimously struck out the motions following their withdrawal. The court also ordered Akpabio to pay a N100,000 fine to the respondents.

The motions, dated March 3 and March 25, 2025, and marked CV/395/M1/2025 and CV/395/M2/2025 respectively, were struck out in a ruling delivered on May 21. Vanguard obtained a copy of the court’s enrolled order on Wednesday.

While Akpabio was the Appellant in the case, the Respondents included Senator 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.

Akpabio, through his legal team, had sought the court’s permission to extend the time allowed for filing an appeal against the Federal High Court’s March 10, 2025 ruling in Suit No: FHC/ABJ/CS/384/2025. That case, presided over by Justice Obiora Egwuatu, was brought by Akpoti-Uduaghan against the Clerk of the National Assembly and three others.

The Senate President requested several orders, including permission to file an appeal, an extension of time to do so, and a stay of proceedings in the Federal High Court pending the resolution of his appeal.

However, the appellate court dismissed the motions after they were withdrawn on the grounds that they had been overtaken by events. The court ruled in favor of the Respondents and imposed a N100,000 cost on Akpabio.

Justice Binta Nyako of the Federal High Court has meanwhile scheduled June 27 to rule on the legality of Senator Akpoti-Uduaghan’s suspension. She took over the case after Justice Egwuatu stepped down, following allegations of bias made by Akpabio.

Senator Akpoti-Uduaghan had turned to the court after being summoned by the Senate's disciplinary committee over a confrontation with the Senate President during plenary on February 20. She had protested the abrupt change of her seat in the chamber and attempted to speak repeatedly despite being overruled by Akpabio. The matter was referred to the Senate Ethics Committee, which later recommended her suspension.

In a television interview on February 28, Akpoti-Uduaghan alleged that her ordeal in the Senate began after she rejected unwanted sexual advances from Akpabio.

In her legal filing, she asked the court to declare any actions taken by the disciplinary committee while her lawsuit is pending as "null, void, and of no effect."