President of the Senate, Senator Godswill Akpabio has taken a swipe at Senator Elisha Abbo who represented Adamawa, saying that it was both illogical and irresponsible to now turn around and alleged that he influenced a court judgment that removed him.
Akpabio who dismissed the recent made by Senator Elisha Abbo, described them as spurious and malicious, just as has categorically denied any involvement in the judicial decision that led to Abbo’s removal from the Senate.
In a statement yesterday by the Special Adviser, Media/Publicity and official Spokesperson to the President of the Senate, Eseme Eyiboh, he said that Abbo has once again accused Senator Akpabio of influencing the judicial ruling that declared his election invalid.
Eyiboh pointed out that Abbo had previously retracted similar claims in 2023, admitting that his initial accusations were “premature and based on the available information at our disposal.” Following discussions with Akpabio at the time, Abbo acknowledged that the Senate President had “no involvement” in his removal.
The Court of Appeal ruled that Abbo’s presence in the Senate was in error and that he was not validly elected. The decision, according to the statement, was based on due legal process and was not influenced by any political actor. The statement further emphasized that Senator Akpabio, a lawyer and committed democrat, respects the independence of the judiciary and has no history of interfering in its processes.
Additionally, the statement refuted Abbo’s claims that he was unjustly denied official benefits, including salaries, allowances, and an official vehicle. It clarified that the Senate President only approves payments that have undergone due administrative processes and that any claims failing to meet legal and procedural standards would not have reached his desk.
The statement also referenced Abbo’s past controversies, including a 2019 incident where he was caught on video assaulting a female citizen in Abuja, for which he was ordered by a court to pay N50 million in damages. The Senate President’s office suggested that Abbo’s recent accusations were attempts to remain politically relevant rather than grounded in fact.
Speaking on Arise TV on Wednesday, Abbo accused Senate President Godswill Akpabio of orchestrating the removal of five Senators from the National Assembly and running the National Assembly like a personal Business.
“He told me that five senators would be removed. I asked how he knew, and he said, ‘I am the Senate President. I know.’ True to his words, five of us were removed. I had no idea that I was pencilled for removal.
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“When I was in the Senate, I travelled to Kenya on a parliamentary assignment, I spent about $14,000, and I submitted a paper for reimbursement, but they refused to pay me to this very day. Before I was removed, I already obtained an Angola visa to represent the Senate at the Appeal Conference in Angola. The process has been so far as you are representing the country, you will remain there in the committee until new people are inaugurated. Akpabio returned me from the airport. My salary for that month was removed on the 19th of October and by Federal Government rule, after the 15th, you will be paid your salary. My salary was not paid for that month on the orders of Akpabio.
“There are 109 Senators, and five of us were removed. Two left, David Umahi as Minister of Works and Senator Ibrahim Gaidam left to become Minister of Police Affairs. Out of the seven senators who left the National Assembly, Akpabio sent their official cars to them excluding me. This is to lay a foundation for the person of Akpabio.”
Describing what he claimed as vindictiveness of the former Akwa Ibom Governor, Senator Abbo said Akpabio planned his removal because he never supported Akpabio for his election as Senate President over his commitment to another candidate, Abdulaziz Yari.
“He came to my hotel room around 2 AM, asking for my support. I told him I was already committed to Yari. Later, at a meeting at Transcorp Hilton, $10,000 was being distributed, but I refused to take any money,”
Speaking on the falling integrity of the Senate, Abbo swho noted that the leadership of the Senate is the problem and not the Institution, said, “I have always defended the integrity of the Senate. The issue is the leadership, not the institution itself.”
“Now, let’s look at Senator Ali Ndume. When he raised concerns about the way things were being run in the Senate, he was removed as Chief Whip and stripped of his position as Vice Chairman of the Senate Committee on Appropriations.
“I also moved a motion to amend the Senate Standing Rules so that only senators who had served at least one term could contest for Senate leadership. But what did Akpabio do? He rewrote the rules to allow first-term senators to become leaders of both the majority and minority caucuses—just so he could control them.
“Do you know that in Akpabio’s house, senators serve him tea?
“Well, I am telling you now. And I told him, ‘You are no longer a governor. These senators are our colleagues, not your commissioners. They are not here to serve you tea,” Abbo said.
Eyiboh ‘s statement read, “The attention of the Office of the President of the Senate has been drawn to another round of spurious and malicious accusations by Mr. Elisha Abbo, who unlawfully represented Adamawa North Senatorial District save a judicial intervention. He has again sought to blame the President of the Senate, His Excellency, Senator Godswill Obot Akpabio, for the travail of his judicial sanction that occasioned his ouster from the Senate.
“It is sad and regrettable that despite publicly retracting a similar allegation in 2023 after admitting that his earlier accusation was “premature and based on the available information at our disposal” Mr. Abbo has once again embarked on a campaign of misinformation and blame transfer.
“Following a discussion with the Senate President last year, Mr. Abbo himself acknowledged that Senator Akpabio had “no involvement” in the judicial process that led to his removal. It is puzzling that he would now return to the same baseless allegations he once renounced.
“For the avoidance of doubt, the Court of Appeal, after a thorough legal process, ruled unequivocally that Mr. Abbo’s presence in the Red Chamber was in error. The court determined that he was not validly elected as the Senator for Adamawa North, and consequently, he was removed.
“The court acted in accordance with the extant laws and the Constitution within its sacred duty to uphold the rule of law. Senator Akpabio, a seasoned lawyer and democrat, holds the independence of the judiciary in the highest regard and would never interfere in its processes.
“It is therefore both illogical and irresponsible for Mr. Abbo to now turn around and allege that the Senate President influenced a court judgment—a judgment which he himself accepted at the time and for which he expressed contrition for his earlier unfounded claims. ( see Punch newspaper of 18th October, 2023)
“Mr. Abbo has also sought to create the impression that he was unjustly denied official benefits following his ouster. He claims entitlement to salaries, allowances, and even an official vehicle, despite the court’s declaration that his tenure was null and void ab initio.
“In matters of financial and administrative processing, it must be stated that the Senate President only approves payments that have been duly vetted and forwarded by the appropriate administrative units, in line with extant laws, Senate procedures, and standard due diligence practices.
“If any of Mr. Abbo’s claims for payment did not reach the desk of the Senate President, it is because they failed to meet these lawful standards—not because of any personal or political vendetta.
“It is unfortunate that instead of accepting the consequences of his legal and political failings, Mr. Abbo continues to resort to media theatrics and reckless finger-pointing. Even more telling is his record of public conduct. Nigerians will recall that in 2019, he was caught on video assaulting a female citizen in Abuja—an incident for which he was ordered by a competent court to pay N50 million in damages. This is a matter of public record and speaks volumes about his temperament and disposition.
“His recent outbursts about unpaid travels and imagined plots further reinforce the conclusion that his actions are driven not by facts or principle, but by bitterness and desperation to remain politically relevant. These claims are not only baseless, but they reek of grievance and a refusal to accept personal responsibility for his removal and loss of public trust.
“Senator Godswill Akpabio remains focused on the noble task of nation-building, providing purposeful leadership in the Senate, and strengthening democratic institutions—especially the independence of the judiciary. He will not be distracted by the antics of individuals who seek to rewrite history to mask personal failures.
“We urge Mr. Abbo to reflect deeply, respect the rule of law, and focus on rebuilding the confidence of his constituents if he hopes to return to public life. Nigeria’s democracy can only thrive when its actors show maturity, responsibility, and an abiding respect for the truth.”
@Vanguard.