Eseme Eyiboh, representing Senate President Godswill Akpabio, says that his superior played no role in the dismissal of Senator Elisha Abbo, who served as the representative for Adamawa North in the National Assembly.
“The outcome of any court proceeding is a function of the evaluation of facts and evidence within the province of the rule of law,” In a statement issued hours after the dismissed legislator alleged that he was ousted for not backing Akpabio’s Senate Presidency campaign in June, Eyiboh stated.
A three-member panel of the Abuja Appeal Court, led by Justice C.E. Nwosu-Iheme, rendered a verdict on Monday that removed Abbo from the All Progressives Congress (APC).
Furthermore, the court instructed the Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC) to grant Amos Yohanna from the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) a Certificate of Return as the legitimate representative for the constituency in the National Assembly.
Commenting on his removal later on Monday, the sacked senator said about five lawmakers had been planned to be removed because they supported another senator in the election for Senate President.
However, Akpabio’s spokesman, Eyiboh, in a statement on Tuesday “strongly rejected claims by Senator Elisha Abbo that the Senate President influenced the judgment of the Court of Appeal that sacked him from the Senate”.
“It is uncharitable for Senator Abbo to pour his frustrations on Senator Akpabio or anyone else and his action betrays the bile he has for Senator Akpabio.
“Senator Akpabio for emphasis has no ill-will towards any of his distinguished colleagues and as he has said in the past, the embers of the leadership election have been buried and replaced by the fraternal bond of nation building he shares with the overwhelming majority of senators,” he said.