•Don’t blame me for your travails, senate president replies

•Suspended senator vows to present evidence of sexual assault in court, says she knew of plot to recall, eliminate her

Chuks Okocha, Sunday Aborisade in Abuja and Nume Ekeghe in Lagos

Former senator representing Adamawa North, Elisha Abbo, has accused the senate president, Godswill Akpabio, of bias and highhandedness 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 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 also pointed out that Natasha had obtained a court injunction barring the senate from investigating her alleged misconduct until the substantive case was heard but the senate ignored the court’s ruling.

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.”

Speaking on the planned recall of Natasha from the 10th Senate, Abbo declared that no one could recall the suspended senator, and stressed that it was a fraudulent scheme.

“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.

However, in his reply, Akpabio, in a statement by his Special Adviser on Media and Publicity, Eseme Eyibo, denied Abbo’s allegations.

The senate president wondered why Abbo, who had earlier levelled similar allegations against him but later apologised, would turn round again with the same accusations.

Akpabio said he had nothing to do with Abbo’s removal from the red chamber neither did he know anything about his official vehicle.

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 Vows to Present Sexual Assault Evidence Against Akpabio in Court

Senator Natasha Akpoti-Uduaghan vowed to present “compelling” evidence of sexual assault against Akpabio, following a series of escalating allegations of political victimisation against her.

Akpoti-Uduaghan also alleged that she was aware Akpabio was behind a conspiracy to recall her, including alleged plans to eliminate her and ultimately take her senate seat.

She made the revelations yesterday in an interview on Channels Television, where she also stated that the senate president had orchestrated a deliberate campaign to undermine her political career.

She said the plot included removing her from key committees and withdrawing her security detail, which was a threat to her life.

Speaking on the sexual harassment evidence, Akpoti-Uduaghan said, “Lets leave it for the court. I will present the evidence I have at the right time.”

The senator detailed how her security was removed shortly after her suspension, a move she believed was orchestrated by Akpabio to create an opening 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 went on to describe how the senate president had even reportedly consulted with  former Kogi State governor, Yahaya Bello, as well as other key figures, to carry out the plan.

“Akpabio consulted with Bello to eliminate me in my constituency. This was no longer about political rivalry it was about my life,” Akpoti-Uduaghan alleged.

The senator further criticised the irregularities surrounding her suspension, stating that it was illegal and politically motivated.

She claimed the process was marred by constitutional violations, pointing out that a senator cannot be suspended without due process, and the senate’s rules were grossly 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 also hinted at a potential gubernatorial run in Kogi State, though she emphasised that her decision would depend on the political climate and the resolution of her current legal and political challenges.

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.”

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