Elisha Ishaku Abbo, former lawmaker representing Adamawa North, has made serious allegations against Senate President Godswill Akpabio, accusing him of orchestrating the removal of five senators, including himself, and running the Nigerian Senate like a personal empire. Abbo, who previously supported Senator Abdulaziz Yari’s bid for Senate President, claimed that Akpabio targeted senators who opposed his views.
In an interview on Arise News on April 2, 2025, Abbo alleged that Akpabio privately approached him with personal appeals and financial incentives to gain his support. According to Abbo, during a meeting at 2 AM in his hotel room, Akpabio warned him that five senators would be removed, a prediction that later proved true, with Abbo himself among those ousted.
Abbo further accused Akpabio of trying to induce him with $10,000 in a meeting at Transcorp Hilton, which he refused. He also claimed that after his removal, Akpabio denied him travel reimbursements, blocked his participation in an international parliamentary assignment, and withheld his official vehicle, despite others in similar situations receiving theirs.
“This is the level of vindictiveness displayed by Akpabio,” Abbo said. He also criticized Akpabio for his treatment of other senators, citing the removal of Senator Ali Ndume from his position as Chief Whip and Vice Chairman of the Senate Committee on Appropriations after raising concerns about Senate operations.
Abbo also revealed that Akpabio allegedly rewrote the Senate’s rules to allow first-term senators to take leadership positions in both the majority and minority caucuses, which Abbo believes was done to increase his control over the Senate.
Additionally, Abbo claimed that Akpabio treats senators disrespectfully, saying, “In Akpabio’s house, senators serve him tea.” He recounted a conversation where he told Akpabio, “You are no longer a governor. These senators are our colleagues, not your commissioners. They are not here to serve you tea.”
Despite these allegations, Abbo emphasized that his concerns were not about the Senate institution itself, but about the leadership under Akpabio, which he described as problematic. The accusations add to the growing controversy surrounding Akpabio’s leadership style and his handling of the Nigerian Senate.
