New Twist as Akpabio Takes Natasha's Battle to Supreme Court

 

The legal and political storm surrounding the suspension case involving Senator Natasha Akpoti-Uduaghan has intensified. 

This follows the decision of Senate President Godswill Akpabio to approach the Supreme Court, challenging a recent ruling of the Court of Appeal. 

Akpabio’s move comes in the wake of a decisive judgment by the Court of Appeal, Abuja Division, which struck out the federal government’s brief of argument in the defamation-related appeal connected to Senator Akpoti-Uduaghan’s suspension. 

The appellate court held that the government’s filing was "incurably defective," having 'violated fundamental procedural and formatting requirements' stipulated under the Court of Appeal rules. 

Despite Akpabio’s public assertion that the brief was struck out “illegally,” certified records of the appellate proceedings suggest that the decision was firmly grounded in law and procedure. 

The panel of justices allegedly found that Akpabio’s legal team committed multiple infractions, including the use of an incorrect font size and line spacing, exceeding the mandatory 35-page limit, and failing to seek leave of court before departing from prescribed rules. 

The court further observed that the federal government’s notice of appeal itself suffered from foundational defects, compounding the procedural lapses. 

The justices ruled that these violations were not mere technicalities but substantive breaches that went to the competence of the processes before the court. 

Consequently, the brief was struck out in its entirety, an outcome that has reportedly left the Senate President visibly dissatisfied and determined to seek redress at the Supreme Court.