The Spokesman of the Senate President, Hon. Eseme Eyiboh, has dismissed fresh allegations by a former Senator, Elisha Abbo, describing them as baseless and an attempt to mislead the public.
In a statement issued on Thursday – yesterday, March 3 – Eyiboh said Abbo’s claims that Senate President Godswill Akpabio influenced the judicial decision that led to his removal from office, were false and irresponsible.
“For the avoidance of doubt, the Court of Appeal, after a thorough legal process, ruled unequivocally that Mr. Abbo’s presence in the Red Chamber was in error,” the statement read. “The court determined that he was not validly elected as the Senator for Adamawa North, and consequently, he was removed.”
Abbo was sacked by the Court of Appeal in 2023, which ruled that he was not duly elected. However, he has repeatedly blamed Akpabio for his ouster, despite publicly retracting similar allegations last year.
Eyiboh recalled that after a discussion with Akpabio in 2023, Abbo admitted that his previous accusations were “premature and based on the available information at our disposal.”
“It is puzzling that he would now return to the same baseless allegations he once renounced,” the statement added.
The former senator also alleged that he was unfairly denied official benefits after his removal, including salaries, allowances, and an official vehicle.
However, Eyiboh insisted that the Senate President only approves payments that have been duly vetted and forwarded by the appropriate administrative units.
“If any of Mr. Abbo’s claims for payment did not reach the desk of the Senate President, it is because they failed to meet these lawful standards—not because of any personal or political vendetta,” Eyiboh said.
The statement also pointed to Abbo’s past controversies, including a 2019 incident in which he was caught on video assaulting a female citizen in Abuja.
A court later ordered him to pay N50 million in damages.
“It is unfortunate that instead of accepting the consequences of his legal and political failings, Mr. Abbo continues to resort to media theatrics and reckless finger-pointing,” Eyiboh said. “His recent outbursts further reinforce the conclusion that his actions are driven not by facts or principle, but by bitterness and desperation to remain politically relevant.”
Eyiboh added that Akpabio remains focused on governance and strengthening democratic institutions and “will not be distracted by the antics of individuals who seek to rewrite history to mask personal failures.”
