Akpabio Behind My Removal As Senator – Abbo

By - LagosCityReporters 17 October 2023 Comments (0) 2 Mins Read

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The lawmaker representing Adamawa North Senatorial District, Elisha Abbo, on Monday, accused the Senate President, Godswill Akpabio of being responsible for his removal from office.

The Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC) had declared Abbo the 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 a 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.

Abbo in his reaction to the court judgment, 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.

The lawmaker, while addressing newsmen, specifically mentioned the Senator representing Abia North, Orji Uzor Kalu as the next target for removal from the Senate.

He said, “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 wondered how with over 11,000 votes margin of victory he had above his closest rival, Yohanna Amos Yohanna of the Peoples Democratic Party in the election, the Appeal Court upturned his victory.

Abbo added, “The court judgement is strange and the judiciary needs to please remain the last hope of the common man.”

He, however, appealed to his supporters to remain calm, vowing to recontest in 2027.