Court bars Elisha Abbo from contesting APC’s Senatorial election

46 days to the 2023 general election, a Yola High Court, Adamawa State, on Tuesday, January 10, 2023, sacked Senator Elisha Abbo as the All Progressives Congress (APC) Senatorial candidate for Adamawa North senatorial zone for the 2023 election.

According to emerging reports: The court presided over by Justice Mohammed Danladi, sacked Senator Abbo on the ground that he was expelled from the party by his ward in Mubi North Local Government Area (LGA) of Adamawa.

What the court said: Justice Danladi held that the Senator and the All Progressives Congress (APC) are bound by the resolution of the party Mubi North Local government chapter’s executive expelling him from the party on the 7th of October 2022.

Abbo stripped of partisan privileges: The court also averred that Senator Abbo is not entitled to enjoy any right or privilege accorded to APC members.

APC restrained from working with Abbo: The court further restrained APC under which the Senator is seeking re-election from recognising him as its candidate, saying that he cannot validly be the candidate of the party in the forthcoming general election.

Why the court order is heavy: According to Justice Danladi, the plaintiff’s counsel has proved beyond doubt that the court is satisfied with the procedure followed by the party since Senator Abbo was accorded the opportunity to defend himself but deliberately refused to so do.

Recall: In 2020, a FCT High Court fined Nigeria’s youngest senator, Elisha Abbo, a sum of N50 Million, after he was caught on camera physically assaulting a woman at an adult toy shop in Abuja.

Why Abbo was dragged to court by his fellow party men: The court said that the action of the plaintiffs in suing Abbo is not an internal affair of the party as claimed and that they have the locus standi to institute the action against him since they are registered members of the party.

Two APC members, Abdullahi Suleiman and Yusha'u Usman of Kolere and Sabon Layi wards in the Mubi North Local Government Area respectively, sued Abbo and sought an interpretation regarding his status in the APC.