The President of the Senate, Senator Godswill Akpabio, has ordered the withdrawal of all pending defamation lawsuits he instituted against several individuals, saying he was deeply moved by a sermon delivered during a New Year Mass.

Akpabio made the an­nouncement on Thursday at the Sacred Heart Parish, Uyo, during a New Year service, where he revealed that he had initiated nearly nine court cas­es against persons he accused of defaming and maligning his reputation.

According to him, the deci­sion to discontinue the suits followed a moment of person­al reflection prompted by the homily of the Parish Priest.

“I had almost nine cases in court against some individu­als who defamed me, who lied against me, who slandered my name,” Akpabio said. “But as I listened to the priest, I sudden­ly realised he was speaking di­rectly to me. I therefore direct my solicitors to withdraw all the lawsuits against them.”

In his homily, the Parish Priest of Sacred Heart Par­ish, Aka, and Vicar-General of the Catholic Diocese of Uyo, the Very Reverend Father Donatus Udoette, emphasised peace as a central requirement for meaningful living, urging parishioners to let go of past hurts and grievances.

“The greatest thing man needs is peace,” Father Udoette said. “You have to let go of the past, no matter what it was. All of us carry some luggage of pain and hurt. You have to let go if you want to move on.”

With the announcement, Akpabio has effectively brought an end to all ongo­ing defamation-related legal actions involving his name, marking a conciliatory start to the new year and signalling closure to a series of high-pro­file litigations.

Akpabio’s decision to with­draw all pending defamation suits comes against the back­drop of a series of highly publicised legal and political disputes involving Senator Natasha Akpoti-Uduaghan, which had drawn national attention and intensified de­bates around free speech, gen­der, power and accountability within Nigeria’s political space.

The rift between Akpabio and Akpoti-Uduaghan became prominent following sharp exchanges which led to her suspension as the Kogi Cen­tral senator openly criticised Akpabio over the action taken against her by the Senate.

In response, Akpabio and his allies turned to the courts, filing multiple defamation suits against Akpoti-Udu­aghan and other individuals who echoed or amplified the claims.

The legal actions, estimated to be close to nine in number, sought retractions, apologies and substantial damages, and were widely seen as a test case on the limits of political criti­cism and dissent in Nigeria’s democracy.

Akpoti-Uduaghan, on her part, maintained that her statements were made in the public interest and constituted legitimate political expression, vowing to defend herself vig­orously in court.

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