Senator Adeyemi, who said this during an interview with TVC News while giving his opinion about Abbo’s allegation that the Senate President, Senator Godswill Akpabio, was behind his sacking from the 10th Senate, said that he had known Senator Akpabio for over a decade and that he was sure the Senate President did not have the heart and the spirit to be behind the witch-hunt of either Senator Abbo or any other lawmaker.
A former federal lawmaker, Senator Smart Adeyemi, who represented Kogi West Senatorial District has asked the Adamawa Senator, Ishaku Elisha Abbo, who was sacked by the Court of Appeal to take the judgment of the court in good faith and exit the red chamber.
Senator Adeyemi, who said this during an interview with TVC News while giving his opinion about Abbo’s allegation that the Senate President, Senator Godswill Akpabio, was behind his sacking from the 10th Senate, said that he had known Senator Akpabio for over a decade and that he was sure the Senate President did not have the heart and the spirit to be behind the witch-hunt of either Senator Abbo or any other lawmaker.
Senator Adeyemi said, "Condemning anyone in the chamber now will be against the norms and values that we have placed on ourselves in the National Assembly. But I must say that I do not see the possibility of the Senate President working against any senator for whatever position he or she decided to take on the floor of the Senate.
"I think these are some of the certain problems when you have a new Assembly in place. It keeps happening before you can get to understand each other and have stability. But more importantly, these are some of the problems when you have a large army of newcomers coming to the chamber.
"But for the Senate President, I do not think he is a man who would want to witch-hunt anybody. I'm talking about Senator Akpabio. I have known him more than a decade ago. I do not see him as somebody with that kind of heart or spirit to witch-hunt anybody, but my brother Abbo could have a reason for what he has said. I think he should just take the judgment of the court the way it is, not to rock the boat and let us have stability in the red chamber.”
“And I do not want to believe that our legal system is that corrupt to get somebody who has been elected by his people to be so removed,” he said.
He continued, "But be that as it may, I think it is a very serious allegation that he has made, and I personally feel disturbed. But I think more importantly that the judiciary must equally weigh this allegation in view of certain other issues.
"It may not be an issue that has to do with the Senate President, I'm talking about the judgment about Senator Elisha Abbo. It may not have anything to do with the Senate President but it is unfortunate that he cannot take this case further, so I will appeal to him that for the peace and stability of the system, he should just move out of the chamber like I was forced out.
"I was forced out because of my position on contemporary national issues. But I don't think my own case is similar to his own because I had nobody in the Senate to accuse of pushing me out. So, I will just tell my brother to take it in good faith and believe in God that tomorrow is still there for him. He is still a young man and still has a long way to go."
SaharaReporters on Monday reported that Senator Abbo who was elected to represent Adamawa Northern Senatorial District on the platform of the ruling All Progressives Congress (APC) was sacked by the Court of Appeal sitting in Abuja.
The Court accordingly ordered the Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC) to withdraw the Certificate of Return issued to Senator Abbo and issue the same to Rev. Amos Yohanna Kumai of the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP).
But after his sacking by the court, Senator Abbo accused Senator Akpabio of being behind the nullification of his election by the Court after he (Senator Abbo) kicked against his emergence as Senate President.
Abbo mentioned Senator Orji Uzor Kalu (APC Abia North) as the next target for removal from the Senate.
But Senator Akpabio has described as unfortunate the allegation by Senator Abbo, saying that he had no hand in Abbo’s sacking.
SaharaReporters earlier on Wednesday reported that Senator Abbo while featuring on Arise News Television’s News Night on Tuesday apologised to Senator Akpabio, saying that the press statement he issued where he accused the Senate President of being responsible for his sack was premature.