Akpabio Withdraws Defamation Suits After New Year Sermon

The President of the Senate, Senator Godswill Akpabio, has instructed his legal team to withdraw all pending defamation suits against various individuals, explaining that the decision was inspired by the message delivered by a priest during a New Year Mass.
Akpabio disclosed this on Thursday while speaking at the Sacred Heart Parish in Uyo, noting that he had instituted about nine court cases against persons he accused of defaming and slandering his character.
According to him, “I had almost nine cases in court against some individuals who defamed me, who lied against me, who slandered my name.
“But as I listened to the priest, I suddenly realised that the message was directed at me, and I therefore instruct 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, Very Reverend Father Donatus Udoette, stressed that peace is the greatest need of mankind and urged parishioners to live harmoniously with one another.
“You have to let go of the past, no matter what it was. All of us carry some luggage of pain and hurt. You must let go if you want to move forward,” he said.
With the announcement, Akpabio has formally brought an end to all ongoing defamation-related legal actions, drawing a line under the widely reported disputes as the new year begins.