Nigeria: Adamawa Senator Sacked By Appeal Court Blames Akpabio, Says Orji Kalu, Three Others Next

17 October 2023

Mr Abbo described the judgement sacking him from office as "a coup on democracy."

Adamawa North senator, Elisha Abbo, who was sacked by the Court of Appeal on Monday, says the Senate President, Godswill Akpabio, was behind his sack.

He also alleged that four other senators, who opposed the senate presidency bid of Mr Akpabio, would be sacked from the upper chamber through court judgements.

Mr Abbo made the allegations at a press briefing held at his Abuja residence on Monday, a few hours after the appeal court sitting in Abuja nullified his victory at the 25 February poll.

A three-member panel of the court presided over by C.E. Nwosu-Iheme had on Monday declared Amos Yohanna of the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) as the validly elected lawmaker for Adamawa North senatorial district and ordered the Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC) to issue a Certificate of Return to the PDP candidate.Mr Abbo, while briefing journalists after the judgement, listed Orji Kalu, the senator representing Abia North, as one of the five senators whose victory will also be nullified by the court.

He was, however, silent on the remaining three senators that will be removed from the Senate because of the alleged opposition to Mr Akpabio's senate presidency ambition.

"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.

Mr Abbo described the judgement sacking him from office as "a coup on democracy."

He insisted that he won the senatorial election with a margin of 11,000 votes.

He, however, called on his supporters and members of his constituency to be calm.

PREMIUM TIMES could not reach Mr Akpabio's spokesperson, Eseme Eyiboh, for comments on Monday evening as his mobile telephone had been switched off.

Flashback

Four members of the All Progressives Congress (APC) started the contest for the race for the presidency of the 10th senate.

They were Mr Akpabio, a former governor of Akwa Ibom State, Abdulaziz Yari, a former governor of Zamfara State, former Abia governor, Orji Kalu, and returnee senator, Osita Izunaso, from Imo.

Of the four contenders, only two, namely Messrs Akpabio and Yari, were considered serious.

However, Mr Akpabio was publicly endorsed by President Bola Tinubu and all the national organs of the APC.

But Mr Kalu later joined the campaign train of Mr Yari and opted for the position of deputy senate president.

Another senator, Sani Musa, from Niger State, dropped out of the race and also opted for the position of deputy senate president.

On the day of the election, only Messrs Akpabio and Yari were nominated for the senate presidency seat.

Mr Akpabio was nominated by Ali Ndume (Borno South) and seconded by Adeola Olamilekan (Ogun West).

Mr Yari was nominated by Mr Abbo and seconded by Jimoh Ibrahim, the senator representing Ondo South.

After the election, Mr Akpabio was declared the senate president having polled 63 votes to defeat Mr Yari who scored 46 votes.

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