Senate President Godswill Akpabio has offered further explanation for his decision to withdraw a series of defamation suits, including a high-profile case against Senator Natasha Akpoti-Uduaghan, describing the move as a conscious leadership choice anchored on faith, restraint and the responsibilities of his office.
In a statement issued in Abuja on Friday by his Special Adviser on Media and Publicity, Eseme Eyiboh, Akpabio said the decision went beyond personal reconciliation and reflected a broader philosophy of governance.
According to the statement, the Senate President had previously been resolute in defending his reputation through the courts, noting that legal action had often served as a tool to counter allegations against him. However, stepping away from that path, he said, represented a deliberate interruption of the exercise of power in favour of moral authority.
Akpabio explained that presiding over a Senate of 109 members with diverse interests and ambitions required a leadership style built on example, credibility and self-restraint, rather than constant legal confrontation that could distract from legislative duties.
He pointed to what he described as the Senate’s improved stability and productivity, noting that more than 96 bills had been passed in two years, with over 58 already assented to by the President. According to him, the calmer atmosphere in the chamber was the result of a leadership approach that prioritised consensus and discipline over political theatrics.
The Senate President said the withdrawal of the lawsuits should therefore be understood not just as an act of personal forgiveness, but as a public demonstration of values meant to strengthen institutional cohesion.
Akpabio’s decision, first announced at the beginning of the year, followed a New Year resolution to forgive those he considered to have wronged him and to discontinue all defamation cases he had filed. The move drew widespread attention due to the prominence and scale of the suits involved.
He traced the decision to a moment of personal reflection during a New Year Mass at Sacred Heart Parish in Uyo, Akwa Ibom State, where a sermon on forgiveness prompted him to reconsider his actions. During the service, Akpabio disclosed that he had instituted nearly nine defamation cases against various individuals over statements he believed were damaging to his reputation, but said he immediately instructed his lawyers to withdraw them.
Among the cases dropped was a ₦200bn defamation suit filed in late 2025 against Senator Akpoti-Uduaghan, arising from allegations of sexual harassment which Akpabio had denied. Separate defamation actions earlier filed by his wife against the Kogi Central senator were also part of the broader legal dispute.
The lawsuits followed a prolonged rift between both lawmakers, which intensified after Akpoti-Uduaghan accused Akpabio of influencing her suspension from the Senate in March 2025 after she made public allegations of misconduct. She had also filed her own defamation suit, seeking ₦100bn in damages over remarks she claimed harmed her reputation.
With Akpabio’s directive to his legal team, all defamation suits instituted by him have now been withdrawn, bringing an end to the widely publicised court battles. He maintained that forgiveness and restraint were not signs of weakness, but necessary instruments for sustaining unity and effective leadership in the legislature.
