The Court of Appeal in Abuja, on Monday, nullified the election of the senator representing Adamawa North Senatorial District, Elisha Abbo.
The appellate court declared the candidate of the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP), Amos Yohanna, as the winner of the February 25 senatorial election.
Yohanna had in a petition filed at the tribunal sitting in Yola challenged the declaration of Abbo, who contested on the platform of the All Progressives Congress (APC), as the winner of the poll, arguing that Abbo did not score the majority of lawful votes cast.
He contended that the poll was marred by irregularities, such as false entries, alteration, and cancellation of votes at several polling units, among others.
The appellate court, in its judgment on Monday, upheld Yohanna’s contention and nullified Abbo’s election.
The Court of Appeal is the final court for the determination of disputes arising from senatorial election cases.
Speaking to journalists at his residence in Abuja after learning about his sacking, Abbo blamed his fate on the Senate President, Senator Godswill Akpabio.
He alleged that Akpabio had a hand in the unfavourable court judgment against him. He alleged further that the Senate President had penciled down four other senators for removal through the court.
“I have it from a reliable source and a very highly placed one for that matter, that myself and four other senators within the fold of the ruling All Progressives Congress would be removed from the Senate through rulings from the courts, all because of working against emergence of Akpabio as President of the 10th Senate.
“I won’t mention the names of all the four other ones targeted but the next in line is Senator Orji Uzor Kalu,” Abbo claimed.
Faulting the court judgment, Abbo insisted that there was no way the PDP candidate could have defeated him at the poll. He said he was so popular that his margin of victory against the PDP candidate was 11,000 votes.
“The court judgment is strange and the judiciary needs to please remain the last hope of the common man.
“For President Bola Tinubu, I must declare that this is not the democracy he fought for and should please lead in protecting it,” he added.
He, however, appealed to his supporters to remain calm, vowing that he would be back in the Senate in 2027.
