The Senate President, Godswill Akpabio, has directed his legal team to withdraw all pending defamation lawsuits filed against individuals over alleged false and slanderous claims.
The decision was disclosed in a statement issued on Thursday in Abuja by the media office of the Senate President.
Akpabio said the move followed a personal reflection inspired by counsel he received during a New Year Mass at Sacred Heart Parish, Uyo, Akwa Ibom State.
According to him, he had instituted nearly nine defamation cases against individuals who, he said, made false allegations and damaged his reputation.
“I had almost nine cases in court against some individuals who defamed me, who lied against me, who slandered my name.
“But I listened to the priest and realised he was speaking directly to me, so I have directed my solicitors to withdraw all lawsuits against them,” Akpabio said.
During the Mass, the Parish Priest and Vicar-General, Very Reverend Father Donatus Udoette, urged worshippers to embrace forgiveness, peace, and reconciliation in the new year.
“You have to let go of the past, no matter what it was. All of us carry pain and hurt, but letting go allows us to move forward,” the priest said in his homily.
Although no individual was mentioned by name, it is expected that the Senate President’s defamation suit involving Senator Natasha Akpoti-Uduaghan is included in the withdrawal.
Akpabio’s decision formally brings an end to all defamation-related legal disputes involving him, marking a symbolic gesture of reconciliation and closure at the start of 2026.
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