Former Senator Elisha Abbo, who was ousted from the 10th Senate following an Appeal Court ruling, has accused Senate President Godswill Akpabio of running the Red Chamber like a personal empire and orchestrating the removal of lawmakers who oppose him.
Speaking in a televised interview, Abbo alleged that Akpabio was behind the ousting of five senators, including himself. He also criticized Akpabio’s handling of Senator Natasha Akpoti-Uduaghan’s suspension, drawing parallels to a similar seat dispute in the 8th Senate involving Akpabio and then-Senate President Bukola Saraki.
“During his own case in the 8th Senate, Akpabio was neither suspended nor investigated,” Abbo stated. “But in Natasha’s case, he acted like an emperor—ordering her suspension, withdrawing her security, and stopping her salary.” He further alleged that by stripping Akpoti-Uduaghan of security, Akpabio was exposing her to potential harm.
Abbo also accused the Senate of disregarding a court injunction that barred it from investigating Akpoti-Uduaghan, labeling her suspension an act of contempt. On the issue of her recall process, he dismissed it as fraudulent, noting that the Constitution requires over 250,000 signatures—more than half of Kogi Central’s 500,000 registered voters—for a valid recall. “How can they claim to have achieved that when the voter turnout in the last election was only 27%?” he questioned.
Allegations of Political Retaliation
Abbo further claimed that his removal was politically motivated, attributing it to his role as Director-General of Senator Abdulaziz Yari’s campaign for Senate President. He recalled an encounter with Akpabio at 2 a.m. in his Transcorp Hilton hotel room, where Akpabio allegedly pleaded for his support—an offer he declined.
The former senator also accused Akpabio’s campaign of offering senators $10,000 each to secure their votes. “He had already hinted at the removal of five senators, not knowing I would be one of them,” Abbo remarked.
He alleged that after a parliamentary assignment in Kenya, where he spent $14,000 in expenses, the Senate refused to reimburse him. Additionally, while other senators who left received their official vehicles, Abbo claimed Akpabio deliberately withheld his.
Leadership Concerns and Judicial Criticism
Abbo criticized Akpabio’s leadership style, alleging that he strategically appointed first-term senators as principal officers to maintain control over them. He further claimed that Akpabio treats fellow senators like subordinates, with some even serving him tea at his residence.
Citing the case of Senator Ali Ndume, Abbo noted that despite being a key figure in Akpabio’s Senate presidency campaign, Ndume was removed as Chief Whip after raising concerns about the Senate’s operations.
Regarding his removal from the Senate, Abbo described it as “judicial banditry,” accusing the judge handling his case of failing to order a rerun election in two local government areas and 263 polling units, as required by law. He further alleged that after the ruling, the judge sent former Senate President Ken Nnamani to plead with him, implying the decision was politically influenced.
Calling for sweeping judicial reforms, Abbo advocated for the dissolution of the National Judicial Council (NJC), arguing that it has failed to discipline high-ranking judges. He suggested that the Nigerian Bar Association (NBA) should take over judicial accountability by passing votes of no confidence against erring judges.
As of now, Senate President Akpabio has not responded to these allegations.
