Former Senator representing Adamawa North, Elijah Ishaku Abbo, has launched a scathing attack on the judiciary, accusing it of orchestrating what he termed “judicial banditry” to rob him of his mandate in the 10th Senate.
Speaking on Arise News Channel’s PrimeTime show on Wednesday night, Abbo alleged that the judicial system was manipulated to overturn his victory in the 2023 senatorial election. The interview, monitored by our correspondent, saw the embattled lawmaker making damning accusations against the courts, claiming the decision that led to his removal was legally indefensible.
“I lost my senatorial seat through judicial banditry because there is no law backing what happened,” Abbo declared. “I believe the judge knows exactly what she did, which is why she had to send Ken Nnamani to my house to plead with me.”
According to Abbo, former Senate President Ken Nnamani’s visit served as an implicit confirmation of irregularities in the judicial process. “Ken Nnamani is still alive, and he can attest to what I am saying,” he asserted, challenging skeptics to verify his claims.
The former federal lawmaker strongly criticised the court’s ruling, particularly its decision to cancel election results in two out of five local government areas in Adamawa North without ordering a rerun.
“A situation where a judge nullifies election results in two out of five local governments—disenfranchising two entire local governments and 263 polling units—without calling for a re-election, is not just an anomaly; it is outright robbery. It is a judicial coup against democracy,” Abbo declared.
He went further to allege that the judge who ruled against him was pressured to do so, citing systemic corruption within the judiciary. “Of course, she was pressured, and I have said it time and time again. I petitioned the National Judicial Council (NJC), but the NJC has become a toothless body that only punishes small judges—Magistrates and High Court Judges—while turning a blind eye to judicial misconduct at the highest levels.”
Frustrated by what he perceives as judicial impunity, Senator Abbo advocated for the dissolution of the NJC, arguing that it had failed in its duty to uphold judicial integrity.
“The NJC should be dismantled. It is a redundant institution achieving nothing,” he asserted. “I strongly advocate for a system where the Nigerian Bar Association (NBA) takes charge of disciplining erring judges by passing votes of no confidence against them.”
It will be recalled that the Court of Appeal in Abuja nullified Abbo’s election on October 16, 2023, and declared Amos Yohanna of the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) as the rightful winner of the February 25, 2023, senatorial election in Adamawa North. The ruling, which effectively ended Abbo’s tenure, has remained a subject of intense controversy, with the former senator refusing to back down from his claims of judicial malpractice.
As the dust settles on the 2023 elections, Abbo’s allegations raise fresh concerns about the integrity of Nigeria’s electoral and judicial systems, fueling debates over the need for urgent reforms.
PIONEER NEWS 