Elisha Abbo, former Senator from Adamawa North, has accused Senate President Godswill Akpabio of influencing the Court of Appeal ruling that led to his removal from office.
The Court of Appeal in Abuja nullified Abbo’s election as a member of the All Progressives Congress (APC).
The Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC) had initially declared Abbo the winner of the February 25, 2023, parliamentary election. However, Amos Yohanna, his rival from the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP), contested the result and took the matter to court.
Although the tribunal initially dismissed Yohanna’s petition, the PDP candidate pursued the case to the Appeal Court. The Court of Appeal ultimately sided with Johnson Usman (SAN), Yohanna’s counsel, stating that the results presented did not comply with Section 137 of the Electoral Act, 2022.
The court deducted the invalid votes and determined that Yohanna and PDP had won the election with the majority of valid votes. Consequently, the Court of Appeal directed INEC to issue a Certificate of Return to Yohanna as the duly elected lawmaker for the senatorial district.
In response to the court’s decision, Abbo alleged that five senators, including himself, who opposed Akpabio’s appointment as Senate President, were being targeted for removal from the Senate through court rulings.
During an interview with reporters in Abuja, Abbo specifically identified Senator Orji Uzor Kalu (APC Abia North) as the next target for removal from the Senate.
He expressed disbelief at the Appeal Court’s decision, considering his substantial victory margin of over 11,000 votes against his closest rival, Yohanna Amos Yohanna of the Peoples Democratic Party.
Abbo urged his supporters to remain calm and assured them of his intention to recontest in 2027.
Attempts to obtain a response from Akpabio regarding the allegations were unsuccessful at the time of this report.
