Abbo’s allegation against Akpabio false, says aide
Abbo’s allegation against Akpabio false, says aide
Monday Ubani, the Special Adviser to the Senate President, Godswill Akpabio, has said his principal has no hand in the removal of Senator Elisha Abbo.
He added that the allegation of the lawmaker representing Adamawa North in the National Assembly is “reckless, defamatory and childish for it lacks proof and merit.”
Ubani stated this in a release on Tuesday, adding that neither Akpabio nor the National Assembly intervenes in judicial decisions.
“It is with utter shock that I read the wild allegations of Senator Elisha Abbo representing Adamawa North Senatorial District in Adamawa State against the Senate President, His Excellency Godswill Akpabio CON over his sack by the appellate court.
“It is surprising that a Senator of the Federal Republic of Nigeria does not understand the elementary workings of the three arms of government under democracy. The Legislature which Senator Elisha Abbo was a member should not and does not interfere with judicial decisions over cases they handle.
“His allegation is reckless, defamatory and childish for it lacks proof and merit,” Ubani said.
The Appeal Court in Abuja had on Monday nullified the election of Abbo of the All Progressives Congress.
The three-member panel, led by Justice C.E. Nwosu-Iheme, ordered the Independent National Electoral Commission to issue a Certificate of Return to Amos Yohanna of the Peoples Democratic Party as the duly elected lawmaker for the constituency.
Yohanna had in a petition filed at the tribunal sitting in Yola challenged the declaration of Abbo, who contested on the platform of the All Progressives Congress, as the winner of the poll, arguing that Abbo did not score the majority of lawful votes cast.
He contended that the poll was marred by irregularities, such as false entries, alteration, and cancellation of votes at several polling units, among others.
In response to his removal, Abbo claimed that about five lawmakers were targeted for removal due to their support for Senator Abdulaziz Yari in the Senate President election, which Senator Godswill Akpabio eventually won.
“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.
Unibani challenged Abbo’s allegations and questioned what the basis for the allegation is.
“Was the Senate President a member of the panel that sat and gave the judgement against him in the appeal court? Was there any member in the panel of the three justices who is related to the Senate President? Is there any proof that the Senate President was interested in the case of Senator Abbo and did anything untoward concerning the decision of the court of appeal? On what basis did Senator Abbo come to the conclusion that the Senate President influenced the judiciary in sacking him as a Senator? Did he supply the laws or the facts through which he was sacked by the Honourable court?,” he questioned Abbo.
He expressed that the duty of the legislative arm of the government which Abbo was a member is to make laws and not to adjudicate cases.
“Can it be said that a Senator who has spent over four years in the Red Chambers does not know the simple duties of all arms of government in a Democracy?
“He is requested to withdraw the statement immediately and apologise to both the Senate President and the Justices of the Court of Appeal, Abuja with wide publication in reputable newspapers and electronic media or risk measures that those two institutions may consider very appropriate in redressing this childish and thoughtless outburst,” Ubani added.
