Nigeria’s former Senate President, Ken Nnamani, has announced plans to take legal action against Senator Elisha Abbo over statements made by the latter, which he claims to be libelous. The dispute follows accusations made by Abbo regarding the outcome of the 2023 election and Nnamani’s alleged involvement in judicial manipulation.
In October 2023, the Court of Appeal in Abuja ruled that Elisha Abbo, who previously represented the Adamawa North Senatorial District, was unlawfully elected in the 2019 election. The court further instructed the Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC) to issue a Certificate of Return to Amos Yohanna of the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP), recognizing him as the rightful winner of the seat.
However, during an interview on Arise Television’s Prime Time Show on Wednesday, Abbo accused the judiciary of unfairly influencing the 2023 election results. The former senator also made a grave allegation, claiming that Nnamani visited him to intervene on behalf of a judge and request a favorable outcome for his case.
In response, Nnamani strongly denied the allegations. Speaking through a statement issued on Saturday, he called Abbo’s claim “a blatant lie” and urged the public to disregard the false statements. The former Senate president refuted the accusation, saying, “I don’t know how Senator Abbo can boldly fabricate an event that never happened to buttress his allegation of judicial miscarriage against him.”
Nnamani further clarified that he has never visited Abbo’s residence nor had any discussions with him regarding the legal case. “I have never visited him at his house or anywhere. I don’t know where he lives. I have never discussed with him about his case, or any case decided by a court of law in Nigeria. The only time we met was when he visited me at my house, and it was more of a social visit,” Nnamani stated.
As part of his response, Nnamani also warned Abbo of potential legal consequences for making defamatory remarks. “While I contemplate private legal action for Senator Abbo’s libelous statements, I want the public to completely disregard his falsehood,” Nnamani added.
