Akpabio denies involving Agbakoba, Ubani in suspension suit

The Federal High Court sitting in Abuja will today hear the contempt applications brought before it by the suspended Senator Natasha Akpoti-Uduaghan (Kogi Central), against the Senate and its President, Godswill Akpabio, in the suit challenging her suspension by the Senate.

Meanwhile, Akpabio, yesterday, denied the involvement of Olisa Agbakoba (SAN) and Monday Ubani (SAN) in the defence of an alleged unlawful suspension suit filed by Akpoti-Uduaghan.

The Kogi senator had, in her motion, marked FHC/ABJ/CS/384/2025, joined the Clerk of the National Assembly, the Senate, the Senate President, and Chairman of the Senate Committee on Ethics, Privileges and Code of Conduct, Neda Imasuen, as defendants.

When the suit, which was reassigned to Justice Binta Nyako, following the withdrawal of Justice Obiorah Egwuatu from the matter, was called yesterday, counsel to the suspended senator, Jibrin Okutekpa (SAN), told the court that the plaintiff had filed all the documents to be relied on in the matter, in line with the directive of the court at the last hearing.

Counsel to the Senate, Paul Daudu (SAN), and that of Senate President, Ekwo Ejembi Ekwo, told the court that they had also filed their various documents to be relied on in the matter, but drew the attention of the court to a motion for disobedience to the order of the court against the plaintiff.

The two senior lawyers representing the 2nd and 3rd defendants in the suit said the plaintiff responded to their motion. They both alleged that Akpoti-Uduaghan disobeyed the order of the court when she, on March 27, 2025, posted a satirical letter of apology to the Senate president on her Facebook page and published it in some national dailies.

Plaintiff’s counsel, Michael Numan (SAN), confirmed the receipt of the motion and reminded the court of a motion for disobedience of court order against all the defendants filed earlier. He said the statement credited to the plaintiff had no connection with her.

Justice Nyako adjourned the matter till Tuesday, May 13, by noon to take all the processes filed in the suit, including the motions on the disobedience of the order of the court.

THE lawyers representing the Senate and Akpabio, who are the second and third respondents, respectively, told Justice Nyako of an Abuja Federal High Court that the two lawyers accused of disobeying the orders of the court were not members of the legal team.

Okutepa, who also accused the respondents of disobeying the orders of the court, informed Justice Nyako of contempt proceedings initiated against the respondents and urged the court to take their application first.

In a short ruling, the trial judge, who observed that the issue of contempt was crucial to the proceedings, adjourned till today for the hearing of all applications and the substantive suit.