Abbo asks Tinubu, NJC to stop elevation of s’court nominee who sacked him as senator

Elisha Abbo, a former senator representing Adamawa north, has written a petition to the National Judicial Council (NJC) against Chioma Nwosu-Iheme, a judge elevated from the court of appeal to the supreme court.

Nwosu-Iheme was among the 11 justices of the appeal court screened by the senate for promotion to the apex court.

The screening exercise followed a request by President Bola Tinubu to screen and confirm them as justices of the apex court. The justices are yet to be sworn in as justices of the apex court.

Speaking at a press conference in Abuja on Wednesday, Abbo said Nwosu-Iheme and members of the panel made up of Muhammad Ibrahim and Olabode Adegbehingbe erred when they declared Amos Yohanna of the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) as the duly elected senator of the district.

The former senator said he had written the NJC and Tinubu to stop the elevation of  Nwosu-Iheme into the supreme court until an investigation is conducted.

“The kernel of my submission at this press conference is that the appointment of Justice Chioma Nwosu-Iheme to the supreme court, is not good for our judicial system and dispensation of justice,” he said.

“For required punishment and deterrence, I have filed petitions against Justice Chioma Nwosu-Iheme, Justice Olabode Adegbehingbe and Justice Muhammad Ibrahim Sirajo, to the National Judicial Council and Chief Justice of Nigeria (CJN) over their judgment in the electoral case between Reverend Amos Kumai of the PDP and me.”

Abbo appealed to President Tinubu to act in line with his renewed hope mantra and “terminate the appointment of Justice Chioma Nwosu-Iheme to the supreme court to save our judiciary”.

In his petition, Abbo said: “Let me ask a rhetorical question, how can judges sitting in a court of justice, cancel elections in 253 polling units out of 924 polling units, meaning election was cancelled in 27% of the total polling units in the senatorial district, cancel 57,775 valid votes, disenfranchise 155,800 voters, and award the senate seat to a person they claimed won with 5,000 votes margin, in determining Section 136(1)(a)(b) of the Electoral Act of Nigeria 2022 (as amended)?”

The former senator said the appellate court handled his matter like voodoo, asking “No be juju be that?”

He added that he is not seeking a review of the judgment against him.