Abbo ‘a monument of self-pity’, Akpabio denies claims of influencing Appeal Court ruling

Godswill Akpabio, the president of the Senate, on Tuesday, refuted claims made by Senator Elisha Abbo that he tried to influence the Court of Appeal’s decision to remove Abbo from the Senate on Monday.

Amos Yohanna of the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) was proclaimed the victor of the National Assembly election held in Adamawa North on February 25, and Abbo was removed from his position as senator for the Adamawa North senatorial district by the Court of Appeal, Abuja, on Monday.

Abbo, who blamed Akpabio for his dismissal, told reporters at his Abuja home shortly after the Court’s ruling that the Senate President was also preparing to oust Senator Orji Uzor Kalu, the former Chief Whip of the Senate, and four other Senators for opposing his bid for the Senate presidency.

“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 alleged.

But in a swift rebuttal on Tuesday, the Senate President, in a statement issued by his Special Adviser on Media and Publicity, Eseme Eyiboh, expressed shock at the allegation.

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He described the claims as delinquent, provocative and unbecoming of a distinguished Senator.

“It is only a diseased and uninformed mind that will not believe that the outcome of any court proceeding is a function of the evaluation of facts and evidence within the province of the rule of law.

“It is uncharitable for Senator Abbo to pour his frustrations on Senator Akpabio or anyone else and his action betrays the bile he has for Senator Akpabio.

“Democracy is founded on the rule of law, so for anybody to accuse one of the strong agents of democracy and governance in the mould of Senator Godswill Akpabio, such an individual must be a monument of self-pity and his swansong a discordant escape from reality.

“Senator Akpabio, for emphasis, has no ill will towards any of his distinguished colleagues and as he has said in the past, the embers of the leadership election have been buried and replaced by the fraternal bond of nation-building he shares with the overwhelming majority of Senators,” he said.

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