The Akpabio Supreme Court appeal challenges a Court of Appeal ruling linked to the suspension of Senator Natasha Akpoti Uduaghan
Senate President Godswill Akpabio has approached the Supreme Court in Abuja over the legal dispute arising from the suspension of Kogi Central senator, Natasha Akpoti Uduaghan, escalating a case that has continued to draw political and public scrutiny.
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Court documents dated December 1, 2025, and obtained on Sunday, confirmed that Godswill Akpabio filed a Notice of Appeal seeking to overturn a recent judgment of the Court of Appeal, Abuja Division.
The appeal court had struck out the Federal Government’s brief of argument in the case linked to Akpoti Uduaghan’s suspension, ruling that the document was incompetent for failing to comply with mandatory provisions of the Court of Appeal Rules.
The appellate court held that the brief violated procedural requirements on formatting, page limits and line spacing, and further noted that no leave of court was sought to depart from the rules.
The justices also found the Notice of Appeal itself to be defective, ruling that the breaches were substantive and affected the competence of the appeal, leading to the brief being struck out in its entirety.
Although Godswill Akpabio later claimed publicly that the brief was struck out illegally, certified records of proceedings showed that the court’s decision was grounded strictly in law and procedure.
Dissatisfied with the ruling, the Senate President has now asked the Supreme Court to set aside the proceedings of November 28, 2025, nullify the judgment of the Court of Appeal and grant leave for the refiling of his brief in compliance with the rules.
In the documents before the apex court, Akpabio argued that the refusal of the appeal court to allow him regularise the defective processes amounted to a violation of his right to fair hearing.
His decision to personally pursue the case has attracted attention within legal and political circles, with observers describing the move as unusual for a sitting Senate President.
Sources within the National Assembly alleged that Akpabio had closely monitored the proceedings and taken a keen interest in the outcome, a development that has fuelled concerns among sections of the legal community.
The dispute has also been shaped by longstanding political tension between Akpabio and Akpoti Uduaghan, a first term senator known for her outspoken criticism of Senate leadership.
Insiders said her rising profile and persistent challenges to authority had unsettled the Senate President, adding a powerful political undertone to the legal battle.
Akpoti Uduaghan’s lawyers confirmed receipt of the Supreme Court processes and expressed confidence in the judiciary, describing the appeal as a desperate attempt to overturn a lawful decision.
Akpoti Uduaghan was suspended for six months in March 2025 after protesting the relocation of her seat during plenary, a move she described as targeted and authoritarian.
Although the suspension elapsed in September, her return to the Senate was delayed by ongoing legal disputes and resistance from Senate leadership before her office was eventually reopened.
Also read: Senate Orders NSA to Probe Akpabio Health Rumours
With the Akpabio Supreme Court appeal now before the apex court, the case has once again ignited national debate over legislative authority, judicial process and political power within Nigeria’s parliament.
