Akpabio removing his opponents from Senate, Orji Kalu next – Elisha Abbo

Senator for Adamawa North, Elisha Abbo has accused Senate President Godswill Akpabio of orchestrating his removal from the Senate through the courts.

He claimed that Akpabio is systemically removing those who opposed his emergence as Senate President from the Upper Chamber.

Abbo also said that four senators have been earmarked for removal, noting that Senator Orji Uzor Kalu (Abia North) is the next to be removed.

The All Progressives Congress (APC) senator spoke with reporters hours after the Court of Appeal sitting in Abuja voided his election.

A three-member panel presided over by Justice C.E. Nwosu-Iheme ruled that Rev. Amos Yohanna Kumai, the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) candidate in the February 25 election, is the rightful winner of the election.

The court also ordered the Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC) to withdraw the Certificate of Return issued to Abbo and issue a fresh one to Kumai.

After INEC declared Abbo winner, Kumai had headed to the election petitions tribunal to challenge the outcome of the election.

The tribunal dismissed his petition for lacking in merit.

Unsatisfied with the tribunal judgement, the PDP candidate filed an appeal at the Court of Appeal through his counsel, Johnson Usman SAN.

After hearing arguments from the parties, the court agreed with the appellant’s argument that based on Section 137 of the Electoral Act, 2022, the results tendered clearly showed that there was no compliance with the Electoral Act.

Having deducted the invalid votes from the parties, the court ruled that PDP’s Kumai’s won majority of lawful votes and declared him the winner of the election.

Speaking with reporters after the court verdict, Abbo fingered Akpabio as the hidden hand behind his travails.

“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,” Abbo said in Abuja.