Senate President Godswill Akpabio has dismissed his alleged involvement in the political travail of Senator Elisha Abbo, who was sacked from the Senate by the Court of Appeal.
Abbo had alleged that Akpabio was behind his removal from the Red Chamber.
The sacked Adamawa North senator was among the lawmakers, who campaigned and worked for Senator Abdulaziz Yari, Akpabio’s main challenger for Senate presidency.
Abbo said four other senators who worked against the emergence of Akpabio as Senate President had been targeted for removal from the Red Chamber through the court.
In an interview with reporters on Monday in Abuja, Abbo specifically mentioned Senator Orji Uzor Kalu (APC Abia North) as the next target for removal from the Senate.
But reacting to the allegation, Eseme Eyiboh, media aide to the Senate President said his principal has no hand in the court judgement, which sacked Abbo from the Senate.
Eyiboh said, “It is unfortunate if he actually said that Akpabio was responsible for his removal. That’s the swan song of a man looking for scapegoats.
“The Court of Appeal across the country decides cases based on the provisions of the Electoral Act and evidence advanced by petitioners. The Senate President has no reason to witch-hunt any of his colleagues.”
It could be recalled that the Court of Appeal in Abuja voided the election of Abbo of the All Progressives Congress (APC).
The Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC) had declared Abbo winner of the February 25, 2023 parliamentary election, but Amos Yohanna, his Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) rival, rejected the result and headed for the court.
The tribunal, in its judgement, dismissed the Yohanna’s petition for lacking in merit.
The PDP’s candidate, through his counsel Johnson Usman (SAN), approached the Appeal Court.
The Court of Appeal, after hearing arguments from parties, agreed with Usman that based on Section 137 of the Electoral Act, 2022, the results tendered clearly showed that there was no compliance with the Electoral Act.
The court, thereafter, deducted the invalid votes from the parties and found that Yohanna and PDP won the election by majority of lawful votes.
The three-member panel presided over by Justice C.E. Nwosu-Iheme, in a judgement, ordered INEC to issue a Certificate of Return to Yohanna as validly elected lawmaker for the senatorial district.
