Senator Elisha Abbo, who lost his seat at the Court of Appeal on Monday, has withdrawn his accusation that Senate President Godswill Akpabio orchestrated his defeat.
Abbo, who represented Adamawa North Senatorial District, said he was misinformed and regretted his earlier statement.
In an interview with Arise Television on Wednesday, Abbo said he had a conversation with Akpabio on Tuesday night and was convinced that he had nothing to do with the court verdict. He said Akpabio swore on his mother’s grave that he was not involved in the case.
“He (Akpabio) said to me, ‘I swear by my mother’s grave that I’m not involved; I don’t even know that you’re in court.’ For a number three citizen to come up to tell me that he has sworn on his mother’s grave, a woman that he loves so much, a woman who brought him up after he lost his father at the age of six, I don’t see a reason why he would lie,” Abbo said.
Abbo also apologized to Akpabio and the APC for any embarrassment his allegation might have caused them. He said he was ready to work with the Senate President and the ruling party for the development of the country.
The Court of Appeal in Abuja had nullified Abbo’s election and declared Amos Yohanna of the Peoples Democratic Party as the winner of the February 25 senatorial election in Adamawa North. The court held that Yohanna had the majority of lawful votes cast in the election.
Abbo had defected from the PDP to the APC in November 2020, citing irreconcilable differences with the state governor, Ahmadu Fintiri. He had also faced public backlash and legal charges for assaulting a woman at a sex toy shop in Abuja in 2019.
