Following his removal from Senate, Senator Elisha Abbo has accused Senate President Godswill Akpabio of masterminding the appeal court ruling which ousted him from the office.
Parallel Facts earlier reported the Court of Appeal in Abuja voided 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 headed for the court.
The tribunal, in its judgement, dismissed Yohanna’s petition for lacking in merit.
The PDP’s candidate, through his counsel Johnson Usman (SAN), approached 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.
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 Red Chamber through the court.
In an interview with reporters 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.
He, however, appealed to his supporters to remain calm, vowing to recontest in 2027..
But reacting to the allegation, Akpabio denied his alleged involvement in the ouster of Senator Elisha Abbo from the Senate.
Akpabio who spoke through his media aide, Eseme Eyiboh, said Abbo is just looking for someone to blame for his sack from the Senate.
“It is unfortunate if he actually said that Akpabio was responsible for his removal. That’s the swan song of a man looking for scapegoats.
“The Court of Appeal across the country decides cases based on the provisions of the Electoral Act and evidence advanced by petitioners. The Senate President has no reason to witch-hunt any of his colleagues,” he said.