Abigail ErhiagbojeNigeria’s Senate President, Senator Godswill Akpabio’s, has debunked allegations of being behind the removal of Senator Elisha Abbo from the upper legislative chamber.
Senator Abbo, who represented Adamawa North senatorial district, had hours after his disqualification by the Abuja Court of Appeal on Monday, accused Akpabio of being behind his loss. He alleged that five senators including Orji Uzor Kalu have been targeted for removal for not supporting the election of the senate president.
The three-member panel of the court presided over by Justice C.E. Nwosu-Iheme, ordered the Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC) to issue a Certificate of Return to Amos Yohanna as the duly elected lawmaker representing the area in the National Assembly.
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The appellate court vacated the tribunal judgment which had earlier affirmed Abbo of the All Progressives Congress (APC) as the winner of the senatorial election.
Abbo, however, claimed that he was being punished for not supporting the emergence of Akpabio as president of the 10th Senate. Abbo supported Senator Abdullaziz Yari, who later didn’t win following the majority votes cast in favour of Akpabio.
Reacting to Abbo’s allegation, Akpabio’s spokesman, Eseme Eyiboh, in a statement said the Senate President had no hand in the lawmaker’s removal. According to him, “The outcome of any court proceeding is a function of the evaluation of facts and evidence within the province of the rule of law.”
“I strongly reject claims by Senator Elisha Abbo that the Senate President influenced the judgment of the Court of Appeal that sacked him from the Senate.”
“It is uncharitable for Senator Abbo to pour his frustrations on Senator Akpabio or anyone else and his action betrays the bile he has for Senator Akpabio.
“Senator Akpabio for emphasis has no ill will towards any of his distinguished colleagues and as he has said in the past, the embers of the leadership election have been buried and replaced by the fraternal bond of nation-building he shares with the overwhelming majority of senators”.
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