Senate Drama/ Akpabio Slams Abbo Over Allegations, Calls Him a ‘Reckless Blame Shifter

Abuja – The President of the Senate, Godswill Akpabio, has fired back at former Adamawa North Senator, Elisha Abbo, over claims that he orchestrated his removal from the National Assembly.

The controversy erupted after Abbo, speaking on Arise Television, alleged that Akpabio was behind his ouster and was running the Senate like an emperor. Abbo’s comments followed his removal by a Court of Appeal ruling on October 16, 2023, which nullified his election and declared Amos Yohanna of the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) as the rightful senator.

Reacting in a statement issued by his media aide, Eseme Eyiboh, Akpabio expressed shock that Abbo had returned to an accusation he had previously withdrawn and apologized for in 2023.

“It is sad and regrettable that, despite publicly retracting a similar allegation in 2023—after admitting that his earlier accusation was premature and based on the available information at the time—Mr. Abbo has once again embarked on a campaign of misinformation and blame transfer,” the statement read.

Akpabio dismissed Abbo’s claims as illogical, emphasizing that the court—not him—determined the former senator’s fate. He also criticized Abbo for demanding official benefits, including salaries, allowances, and a vehicle, despite his tenure being declared “null and void ab initio.”

“If any of Abbo’s claims for payment did not reach the desk of the Senate President, it is because they failed to meet lawful standards—not because of any personal or political vendetta,” Akpabio stated.

Labeling Abbo’s actions as an attempt to “rewrite history to mask personal failures,” Akpabio urged the former senator to “respect the rule of law” and focus on rebuilding his political career rather than engaging in baseless accusations.

With tensions rising in the Senate, the feud between the two politicians has reignited concerns over internal power struggles within Nigeria’s legislative arm.