From Adesuwa Tsan, Abuja
Hon. Eseme Eyiboh, spokesman for Senate President Godswill Akpabio, has rejected fresh accusations from former Senator Elisha Abbo. He called them baseless and meant to trick the public.
Eyiboh spoke out in a statement on Thursday. He said Abbo’s claim that Akpabio swayed the court to remove him from office is untrue and reckless.
“For the avoidance of doubt, the Court of Appeal, after a thorough legal process, ruled unequivocally that Abbo’s presence in the Red Chamber was in error,” the statement said.
“The court determined that he was not validly elected as the Senator for Adamawa North, and consequently, he was removed.”
The Court of Appeal sacked Abbo in 2023, ruling he didn’t win his seat fairly. Still, Abbo keeps blaming Akpabio, even after taking back similar claims last year.
Eyiboh noted that in 2023, after talking with Akpabio, Abbo admitted his earlier 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,” Eyiboh added.
Abbo also said he was denied benefits like salaries, allowances, and a car after his exit. Eyiboh countered that Akpabio only signs off on payments checked by the right offices.
“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,” he said.
Eyiboh brought up Abbo’s past troubles too. In 2019, a video showed Abbo hitting a woman in Abuja. A court fined him N50 million for it.
“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.
He added that Abbo’s latest rants show bitterness and a grab for attention.
Eyiboh stressed that Akpabio stays focused on governing and building democracy.
He “will not be distracted by the antics of individuals who seek to rewrite history to mask personal failures,” the spokesman concluded.