THE sacked Adamawa State senator, Ishaku Elisha Abbo has tendered an unreserved apology to the Senate President Godswill Akpabio following his accusation that the number three man in the country has a hand in the Monday judgment of the Court of Appeal which removed him from the upper legislative chamber.
Eighteen-Eleven Media recalls that the Abuja division of the Court of Appeal on Monday ordered his removal following a petition by the candidate of the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) for Adamawa North Senatorial District in the 25 February 2023 election, Rev. Amos Yohanna Kumai. The court accordingly ordered the Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC) to withdraw the Certificate of Return issued to Senator Abbo and issue same to Rev. Amos Yohanna Kumai.
Yohanna had in a petition filed at the tribunal sitting in Yola challenged the declaration of Abbo as the winner of the poll, arguing that Abbo did not score the majority of lawful votes cast. He also contended that the poll was marred by irregularities, such as false entries, alteration, and cancellation of votes at several polling units, among others.
However, speaking with journalists at his residence in Abuja after learning about his sacking, Abbo blamed his fate on the Senate President, Senator Godswill Akpabio. He alleged that Akpabio had a hand in the unfavourable court judgment against him. He alleged further that the Senate President had pencilled down four other senators for removal through the court.
“I have it from a reliable source, and a very highly placed one for that matter, that myself and four other senators within the fold of the ruling All Progressives Congress would be removed from the Senate through rulings from the courts, all because of working against 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,” Abbo claimed. Faulting the court judgment, Abbo insisted that there was no way the PDP candidate could have defeated him at the poll. He said he was so popular that his margin of victory against the PDP candidate was 11,000 votes.
“The court judgment is strange and the judiciary needs to please remain the last hope of the common man.”
But Abbo in an interview on Arise television on Tuesday night publicly apologised to Akpabio. He said the press statement issued on Monday shortly after the Court of Appeal judgment was premature adding that he acted in error due to insufficient information at his disposal.
According to Abbo, the apology offered to Akpabio was necessary after his discussion with him on Monday night.
He said, “Yesterday night I had a discussion with the Senate President, my brother-colleague, distinguished Senator Akpabio, and I’m convinced that he’s not involved.
“This is because we met yesterday and let me go by his word, he said: ‘Senator Abbo, I swear by my mother’s grave that I’m not involved in this, I don’t even know that.’ For my patriotism to tell me that he has sworn by his mother’s grave, a woman that he loved so much; a woman who brought him to this world I don’t see a reason why he would lie to me.
“Again, the additional intelligence taken in and we have an abundance of information. This morning after discussing with the Senate President yesterday I apologised to him. It is only honourable that when something is wrong you have to clear his name to say yes we acted in error due to the available information at our disposal.
“My President, my distinguished brother and friend, I’m sorry. I believe you are not involved and I value every word you said that you’re not involved.”
Weighing in on the matter of members in the senate planning to impeach Akpabio, the sacked senator denied the report saying there was never a plan embarked by his former colleagues to remove the senate president from the seat.
He explained that there were infractions made in the allocation of committees while he was there but after he met with Akpabio and the principal officers in the Senate they promised that the mistakes would be corrected and it was acted upon the next day.
“There was no plan to impeach the Senate President Akpabio but there was a plan to make him do that which is right and when the issue came up that time I met with the Senate President and we had a meeting between 1:00 am and 3:00 am and I told them the infractions that they made in the allocation of committees that time when I was in the Senate but I am no longer there. But they agreed and assured me that yes there were mistakes and they were going to correct them and when they went to the chamber the next day they dissolved all the vice chairmanship of the committees. I am not a serving senator now but I want to tell you that there was no plan to impeach Akpabio. I support him to deliver on the mandate of his people,” he added.
Eighteen-Eleven Media