The President of the Senate, Senator Godswill Akpabio, has directed his lawyers to withdraw all ongoing defamation lawsuits against several individuals, saying a New Year sermon by a Catholic priest deeply moved him.

Mr. Akpabio disclosed this on Thursday while speaking at the Sacred Heart Parish in Uyo during a New Year Mass.

He revealed that he had filed nearly nine lawsuits against individuals he accused of defaming him.

“I had almost nine cases in court against some individuals who defamed me, who lied against me, who slandered my name,” he said.

“But I listened to the priest and suddenly realised he was talking to me, so I hereby direct my solicitors to withdraw all lawsuits against them.”

During his homily, the priest told parishioners that peace was one of humanity’s greatest needs and urged them to live harmoniously with one another.

He admonished worshippers to let go of past hurts, saying: “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, Senator Akpabio has formally ended all pending legal disputes arising from defamation claims, signalling closure to the widely publicised litigations at the start of the new year.