Justice Obiora Egwuatu of the Federal High Court, Abuja, has withdrawn from presiding over the lawsuit filed by Senator Natasha Akpoti-Uduaghan against Senate President Godswill Akpabio, citing allegations of bias.
At the resumed hearing on Tuesday, Justice Egwuatu announced his decision to step down after acknowledging concerns raised by the third defendant, Senate President Akpabio. The Senate President reportedly expressed doubts about the court’s impartiality, prompting the judge’s recusal.
Justice Egwuatu stated that the case file would be returned to the Chief Judge of the Federal High Court, Justice John Tsoho, for reassignment to another judge.
During the last court session, the defense counsels argued that they had not received necessary legal documents. However, Senator Akpoti-Uduaghan’s lawyer, Michael Numa (SAN), countered this claim, presenting affidavits of service as proof. After verification, Justice Egwuatu confirmed that all defendants had indeed been served.
Following this, the third defendant’s counsel, Kehinde Ogunwumiju (SAN), requested an adjournment to streamline legal processes, a motion supported by other defense counsels to ensure a more efficient hearing.
Justice Egwuatu granted the request and adjourned the case to Tuesday, March 25, 2025, directing that all legal documents be properly served before the new hearing date. The matter now awaits reassignment to a different judge for further proceedings.