Senate President Godswill Akpabio suffered a major setback at the Court of Appeal, Abuja Division, which struck out his brief of argument on November 28, 2025, for procedural flaws including exceeding the 35-page limit, improper font size, line spacing violations, and failure to seek court leave, prompting his immediate appeal to the Supreme Court. The ruling stemmed from Natasha Akpoti-Uduaghan's successful Federal High Court challenge quashing her six-month Senate suspension over alleged defamation against a colleague, with Akpabio's 11-ground notice dated July 14, 2025, claiming fair hearing breaches, unequal treatment since the respondent's brief allegedly violated rules unchecked and judicial overreach into parliamentary privileges.
Akpabio, through SAN Kehinde Ogunwumiju, argues the appellate court erred by denying motions to exceed page limits or refile compliant briefs despite Order 19 Rule 6(a) allowing flexibility for complex matters, insisting urgency lacked and justice was sacrificed for speed, occasioning miscarriage. Respondents include the National Assembly Clerk, Senate, and Ethics Committee Chair Ned Nwoko, as Akpoti-Uduaghan fights her exclusion from Kogi Central duties amid political tensions. Legal analysts decry Akpabio's "avoidable" formatting errors as self-inflicted, fueling speculation of damage control in a saga testing Senate authority versus judicial oversight.
This escalation revives the protracted feud, with Akpabio seeking nullification of November 28 proceedings and judgments, potentially delaying Akpoti-Uduaghan's recall while spotlighting legislative accountability under Tinubu's administration. Observers anticipate Supreme Court scrutiny on procedural rigor versus substantive rights, amid calls for resolution ahead of 2027 polls.