Appeal Court sacks Senator Elisha Abbo, as APC alleges compromise on cases

The judgement of the Court of Appeal on Monday hit the ruling All Progressives Congress (APC) on the bad side as the ruling of the Court ran against some candidates of the party in the contest against the outcome of the 2023 general elections.

On Monday, Abuja Division of the Court of Appeal sacked the lawmaker representing Adamawa North Senatorial District, Senator Elisha Abbo (APC).

The appellate court, in a unanimous decision by a three-member panel of Justices, vacated the tribunal judgement that earlier affirmed Abbo who contested the election on the platform of the APC, as the valid winner of the senatorial seat.

The appellate court held that there was merit in an appeal that was lodged by Amos Yohanna the candidate of the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) in the election.

An action by Abbo,  in 2019, had generated public outcry when he assaulted a lady, Ms. Osimibibra Warmate, in a sex toy shop in Abuja.

Following the incident, a High Court of Federal Capital Territory ordered the lawmaker to pay N50million damages to the lady, a decision that was subsequently affirmed by the a panel of the appellate court led by Justice Jamilu Tukur.

Abbo whose re-election bid was dashed by the appellate court verdict, confirmed his sack from the upper chamber in a post he published on his official Facebook page on Monday.

He urged his supporters and constituents to remain calm.

Meanwhile, there was chaos on Monday at the Lagos Division of the Court of Appeal venue for the hearing of the State and National Assembly appeal cases from Imo State, when the APC counsel, Echezona Etiaba, (SAN), presented two petitions allegedly written by his clients accusing the three-member panel of compromise.

In the letter, which was read by the presiding Justice, the APC accused Damian Dodo (SAN), whom they alleged to be counsel for one of the appellants of being the conduit to reach the panel headed by Justice Danjuma Mohammed, who is the presiding Judge of the Makurdi Division of the Court of Appeal.

Other members of the panel are Justice Peter Affen from Yola Division and Justice Asmau’u Musa Mainoma, who is one of the newly appointed justices to the Court of Appeal.

However, Dodo was not counsel for the PDP or Labour Party (LP) at any time in any of the pre-election cases or the main tribunal in Imo State.

Dodo was also not counsel for any of the parties at the tribunal and even before the Court of Appeal.

Following the development, the justices, after declaring their innocence, went a step further to recuse themselves from the appeals of Imo State.

The justices stated that it was just before the court sitting that all of them were made to know who they were sitting with and which cases they were supposed to preside over.

Meanwhile, lawyers who were present at the sitting who were angry at the turn of events, as all the appeals were not heard, lambasted their colleague for using his status as a SAN to present such unbelievable and defamatory petitions and moved the panel to recuse themselves while also accusing his brother silk.