Adamawa North Senator, Elisha Abbo, who was sacked this evening from the Senate by the Appeal Court, has accused Senate President, Godswill Akpabio of masterminding his removal from office.
Recall that the Court of Appeal in Abuja in a landmark ruling, nullified the election of Abbo of the All Progressives Congress—APC.
The Independent National Electoral Commission—INEC had declared Abbo winner of the February 25, 2023 parliamentary election, but Amos Yohanna, his Peoples Democratic Party—PDP rival, rejected the result and approached the court.
Also, the tribunal, in its judgement, dismissed Yohanna’s petition for lacking in merit.
The PDP’s candidate, through his counsel Johnson Usman, SAN, headed to the Appeal Court.
The Court of Appeal, after hearing arguments from parties, agreed with Usman that based on Section 137 of the Electoral Act, 2022, the results tendered clearly showed that there was no compliance with the Electoral Act.
The court, thereafter, deducted the invalid votes from the parties and found that Yohanna and PDP won the election by majority of lawful votes.
The three-member panel presided over by Justice C.E. Nwosu-Iheme, in a judgement, ordered INEC to issue a Certificate of Return to Yohanna as validly elected lawmaker for the senatorial district.
However, reacting to the court’s ruling, Abbo said four other senators who worked against the emergence of Akpabio as Senate President had been targeted for removal from the Senate through the court.
While speaking with newsmen on Monday in Abuja, Abbo specifically mentioned Senator Orji Uzor Kalu (APC Abia North) as the next target for removal from the Senate.
“I have it from a reliable source that myself and four other senators within the fold of the ruling All Progressives Congress (APC) will be removed from the Senate through rulings from the courts, all because of working against the emergence of Akpabio as President of the 10th Senate.
“I won’t mention the names of all the four other ones targeted but the next in line is Senator Orji Uzor Kalu,” he said.
He wondered how with over 11,000 votes margin of victory he had above his closest river, Yohanna Amos Yohanna of the Peoples Democratic Party in the election, the Appeal Court upturned his victory.
“The court judgement is strange and the judiciary needs to please remain the last hope of the common man,” Abbo said.
