Former senator representing Adamawa North, Elisha Abbo, has accused the senate president, Godswill Akpabio, of bias and high-handedness in the suspension of the senator for Kogi Central, Natasha Akpoti-Uduaghan.
But Akpabio, in his response, asked Abbo to stop his blame game and accept his fate.
That was as Akpoti-Uduaghan vowed to present evidence of sexual assault against Akpabio in court, saying she knew about a plot to recall and eliminate her.
Abbo, during an interview on Arise News, PrimeTime show on Wednesday night, recalled Akpabio’s past verbal exchanges with the former senate president, Bukola Saraki, over seat re-allocation, but which was resolved with maturity.
Raising questions about the legality of Akpoti-Uduaghan’s suspension, Abbo argued that Akpabio’s approach was unfair, especially given his past conduct in the senate.
He maintained that by withdrawing Akpoti-Uduaghan’s security, Akpabio had exposed the lawmaker to be killed.
“In the case of Natasha, it took a different dimension,” Abbo said, adding, “He sat like the emperor that he claims he is and said the woman should be suspended for six months, withdrew her security, stopped payment of her salary, barred her from being seen near the National Assembly building, and even ordered the Inspector General of Police not to provide her with security.
“In another way, he exposed her to be killed. When you withdraw somebody’s security—which is not right—that means you are exposing her to be killed. The IG realised that it was not a good thing to do because if tomorrow they hear that Natasha is killed, something will happen.
“In the eighth Senate, Akpabio had a verbal exchange with the senate president, Saraki, and was not suspended. If Akpabio was not suspended because of a seat in the eighth Assembly, why are you suspending Natasha for six months if your only motivation is because of a seat?”
Abbo claimed that Natasha secured a court injunction to halt the senate's investigation into her alleged misconduct until the main case was heard. However, the senate disregarded the court's order.
He stated, “The senate went against the court judgement and suspended her—that is contempt of court. It was after they finished suspending Natasha that they went to court to vacate the order barring them.
“And I’m sorry to use this word, but instead of arresting Akpabio for contempt of court, the judge cowardly vacated his own judgement and recused himself from the case.”
Abbo vehemently declared that the planned recall of Natasha from the 10th Senate was a fraudulent scheme, asserting that no one could legally remove the suspended senator.
“Senator Natasha should continue doing what she is doing. I heard that they want to recall her. Nobody can recall Natasha. Take note and write it down, we are not a banana republic. They went to forge signatures,” he said.
Senator Akpabio, through his spokesperson Eseme Eyibo, has refuted allegations made by Senator Abbo. Akpabio expressed surprise at the renewed accusations, noting that Abbo had previously apologized for similar claims. He stated that he was not involved in Abbo's removal from the Senate and had no knowledge of his official vehicle.
The statement from Akpabio's office labeled Abbo's accusations as "spurious and malicious," highlighting that Abbo's representation of Adamawa North was deemed unlawful by a judicial ruling.
Part of the statement read, “The attention of the Office of the President of the Senate has been drawn to another round of spurious and malicious accusations by Mr. Elisha Abbo, who unlawfully represented Adamawa North Senatorial District save a judicial intervention.
“He has again sought to blame the President of the Senate, His Excellency, Senator Godswill Obot Akpabio, for the travail of his judicial sanction that occasioned his ouster from the senate.
“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 our disposal’— Mr. Abbo has once again embarked on a campaign of misinformation and blame transfer.
“Following a discussion with the Senate President last year, Mr. Abbo himself acknowledged that Senator Akpabio had ‘no involvement’ in the judicial process that led to his removal.
“It is puzzling that he would now return to the same baseless allegations he once renounced. 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 court determined that he was not validly elected as the Senator for Adamawa North, and consequently, he was removed. The court acted in accordance with the extant laws and the Constitution within its sacred duty to uphold the rule of law.”
The statement added, “Senator Akpabio, a seasoned lawyer and democrat, holds the independence of the judiciary in the highest regard and would never interfere in its processes.
“It is therefore both illogical and irresponsible for Mr. Abbo to now turn around and allege that the Senate President influenced a court judgment — a judgment which he himself accepted at the time and for which he expressed contrition for his earlier unfounded claims. (see Punch newspaper of 18th October, 2023)
“Mr. Abbo has also sought to create the impression that he was unjustly denied official benefits following his ouster. He claims entitlement to salaries, allowances, and even an official vehicle, despite the court’s declaration that his tenure was null and void ab initio.
“In matters of financial and administrative processing, it must be stated that the Senate President only approves payments that have been duly vetted and forwarded by the appropriate administrative units, in line with extant laws, Senate procedures, and standard due diligence practices.
“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.
“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.”
Akpoti-Uduaghan Promises to Present Sexual Assault Evidence Against Akpabio in Court
Senator Natasha Akpoti-Uduaghan has pledged to provide “compelling” evidence of sexual assault against Akpabio, amid a growing number of allegations regarding political victimization directed at her.
In her statements, Akpoti-Uduaghan claimed that Akpabio was involved in a conspiracy to recall her, which allegedly included plans to eliminate her and seize her senate seat.
These revelations were shared during an interview on Channels Television, where she accused the senate president of orchestrating a systematic campaign to undermine her political career.
She highlighted that this scheme involved her removal from key committees and the withdrawal of her security detail, which she described as a significant threat to her life.
Senator Akpoti-Uduaghan, addressing the allegations of sexual harassment, stated, "Let's leave it for the court. I will present my evidence at the appropriate time."
She further elaborated that her security detail was removed shortly after her suspension, a move she believes was orchestrated by Senator Akpabio to create an opportunity for physical harm.
“My security was recalled two days after my suspension. It was clear that this wasn’t just a procedural action, this was about putting my life in danger. They wanted me exposed, vulnerable to attacks,” Akpoti-Uduaghan stated.
She revealed that the senate president, in a move to execute the plan, reportedly sought advice from former Kogi State governor Yahaya Bello and other influential figures.
She alleged the process was riddled with constitutional violations, arguing that a senator cannot be suspended without due process, and the senate's rules were egregiously violated in her case.
“This is a direct attack on my rights as an elected representative,” she said, adding, “The Nigerian constitution doesn’t allow for indefinite suspensions.
“Yet they went ahead with a 60-day suspension, which is completely illegal. I want the public to understand that this is not just about me. This is about democracy and accountability.
“I’m not backing down. I will make sure the evidence is brought forward, and justice is served. If they think they can intimidate me or silence me, they are mistaken.”
The senator is thinking about running for governor of Kogi State, but she's not sure yet. She said she'll decide based on what's happening in politics and how her legal and political problems turn out.
She said, “2027 would be determined based on the consultations I would have with my husband, my children, my family, associates, and, of course, my community. If they tell me, Natasha, go ahead, I will go ahead. If they tell me to raise the bar and expand your political space, I will do so.”