At 41, Senator Ishaku Cliff Abbo representing Adamawa North Senatorial District in the 9th Assembly is the youngest in the Senate. With controversies trailing his debut into mainstream politics, he admits to starting his senatorial position on the wrong footing because of the video scandal. Speaking with our Correspondent Edoamaowo Udeme, Sen Abbo admitted to being on the scene of the slapping incident but not the one that carried out the act. Says the woman in the video is an aggressor who molested his sister and left her for dead and that the incident took place even before he contested as Senator. He also spoke extensively on being a Marlian, massively supporting Big Brother Laycon and 2023 ambition as Governor of Adamawa State. Excerpts;
Before we talk about the recent court judgement where you have been ordered to pay N50 million the lady you allegedly molested in the video, I want to hear from you what actually happened on that day because there were denials and counter denials, I want to know and the world also wants to know what actually happened, I want you to use this opportunity to clarify that issue.
You are the first Journalist that I will speak to openly on this matter. It is a matter of public interest at a time that violence against women is being campaigned against vigorously is coming to the fore especially domestic violence because so many women are dying in silence and nobody’s daughter deserves to suffer in her husband’s house because any man that has suffered to bring his daughter up and give her out in marriage to somebody’s son will not expect anything less than his daughter being taken care of and will not be happy to see her suffer in another man’s house, it was at this time that Domestic Violence is getting global attention especially in Africa where women are seen as second class and third class citizen, what the rights of a woman is not equal with the rights of a man contrary to the provision of the constitution because of our socio-cultural and religious beliefs in Africa, women’s rights are not given to them, that was the time that the video came and from who? From a man (referring to himself) that has been elected to represent the people, so it gained public interest. If it were to be an Okada man, a taximan or an Agbero that did that, the story could have been dead and buried that very day. Somehow, it was actually after I won election, that they discovered that I was actually aspiring for an office, and then, Boom, the video surfaced, it was meant to be as if it just happened yesterday. As a matter of fact, the video was released after the 9th Assembly Senators were sworn in and we were given two weeks break to go home, prepare so we will come back and resume. They waited until the day we were resuming, that was when they release the video. Let me say with all honesty that what you saw in the video is not the real truth.
But aren’t you the man that was molesting the woman in the video?
No, I was the one standing…
But…
(Cuts in) Go and look closely at that video, I was wearing a black T-shirt and was backing the scene
But do you know the person that actually carried out the act?
Yes, I do know him and the worst thing about the matter is that they people that made the video know the truth. The video itself was over 2 hours and they edited it to 12 minutes and sensational enough, it was a sex toy shop where they sell Dildos for women. I am a man, I don’t use Dildo, I won election at the age of 38 I am sexually active and don’t need a Dildo.
Was it actually a Dildo shop?
I don’t know but I learnt that there is a part of that shop that sells those things.
So what took you there, what exactly did you go there for?
I went to rescue my sister that was attacked. Now this is what actually happened. The shop is a very large one, they sell lingerie, night wears and it is a very big candy shop. If you want to celebrate birthdays, you go there and get all the candies you want, so women especially young girls usually go there for window shopping and a she was attacked. I received a call and the person at the other end said, your sister Precious is dead. I asked again and was told that somebody hit and killed her and that she was dead. I thought it was a car that hit her, I then asked; “the person that hit her, did he stop”? The caller said, no, it is not a car that someone hit her with a hand and she died. I asked for location it was in Wuse, I raced to the scene and saw her lying down unconscious with vomit all over her. On inquiry, I was told that she got to the shop and started vomiting and one of the ladies there slapped her for vomiting in the shop and she collapsed on the floor. The truth is, my sister fainted and who hit her? The lady in the video who claimed I hit her. It is in her confessional statement in the court even though she denied hitting my sister but she claimed that she was only touching her pulse to see if she were still alive. When she was asked in court whether she was a doctor or nurse she said no, and they asked why she was so concerned to check her pulse. She refused to answer. What infuriated everyone including me who called the Police was the fact that she told my already unconscious sister “If you want to die, you cannot die here” She held my sister by her ankle and dragged her outside the shop like a dead animal.
Where is that Sister of yours, is she alive?
She is alive and at home, I kept her out of the whole drama because I am the drama already and I don’t want my family to be involved in the issue. I needed to protect them from all that unnecessary drama. So, if you were in my shoes, how would you have acted if someone sees your sister vomiting, slapped her and dragged her on her foot outside and said go and die outside like a dog? That lady is a criminal, she is an aggressor. Imagine a video saying she was a pregnant woman, a nursing mother and everybody bought the lie.
I was one of them, I was outraged, my Facebook page was busy, I was calling for your head. The anger was that you hit a woman for whatever reason.
Even my father would have been angry too.
Now that Domestic Violence which is supposed reduce is increasing, the world was angry with you….
(Cuts in) Yes, it was a wildfire, it was a jungle justice. Kill him! Kill him! They didn’t care to know what happened.
There was even a call for you to be dropped from the Senate, what happened there?
They cannot do that because the constitution is very explicit about that, if they think they can withdraw me from the Senate, let them come to my village and withdraw me but before they get to my village, they should write their wills and keep at home before going because I can’t guarantee what will happen to them there.
Are you appealing or are you paying her the N50 million?
Not even that, let me talk about the judgement first of all and the criminal proceedings
Please explain
Assault is a crime, you have no right to assault anybody whether man or woman, and the definition of criminal force and assault is in the independent code and all the laws in Nigeria. Questions were asked in the court, “You brought this video, go and bring witnesses” None came. No single witness came including her own mother, she refused to come to the court. Second question, “Are you a nursing mother”? She said no. “Do you have a child or children”? she said yes, how old? She said 13 years old. But the news circulating says that you are a nursing mother? she video was planted to make me look like a monster, an animal, and it happened long before I even contested election. The intention was actually to make money from me. She had gone to the owner of the shop and told her that she wants to use that opportunity to make money from me and the lady refused. She, in presence of her friends put a call across to one of her friends in the House of Representative asking that friend when the government will start paying Senators that she wants to cash in on that time to collect money from me. She is a cheap blackmailer. That was why I insisted on going to court. Everybody came and begged me for out of court settlement and I vowed to go to court. The worst thing is that she admitted that she doctored the video.
Did she admit that?
Of course! It is in print, boldly written down in a certified true copy of court proceedings. It is there. now, they thought that the court of law is a social media where he who makes the loudest noise is the king. After the court hearing, the lawyer said there is no case here and it was thrown out, after realizing that they have lost the day she entered the dock, she went to file a civil case against me on fundamental human right abuse, claiming damages and the judge didn’t order that I appear before her, I was never invited or questioned, I didn’t receive any summons the just brought the video and the apology I tendered to the public and passed her judgement.
But why did you tender an apology if you were not guilty?
You see, God has placed some level of responsibilities on each and everyone’s shoulder. The question is; Do you want to be responsible enough to take another person’s responsibility? I am a very responsible man. I take my responsibility. At that time, the country was boiling and I felt that as a patriot, I should calm nerves. I should say things that the world wants to hear. The fact that you matched my leg and I tell you sorry doesn’t make me the sinner or the oppressor. If I question why you match my leg and you become rude to me, I will feel bad and I will react but when I apologize to you, that is patriotism. I am grossly misunderstood and I don’t care.
So, are you appealing or paying the money?
One Naira, I will not pay. That is a stupid judgement. You don’t give judgement based on sentiment. Because it is a female judge and so what? She said I should pay N50 Million and also tender a public apology, I will not. That is self-indictment and stupid judgement.
Now, let’s talk about your political career, some people knew nothing about you, even Google says very little about you so how did you manage to unseat a sitting Senator with such a large margin?
If you check this parlor upstairs (referring to portraits), that is me in 2014 with the PDP State Chairman in Adamawa State, that is me with Senator Obanikoro, me with His Excellency Ayo Fayose, me with the former IG of Police and General Buba Marwa, with former Vice President Sambo and the man who brought me into politics, Chief Tony Aneni and His Excellency Goodluck Jonathan. Those portraits existed long before I became Senator, but I have been in politics for a long time but in a different way.
Have you ever contested any election?
Let me first tell you what I do. I am a Political Consultant, a Campaigns and Elections Strategist and a Community Mobilization Specialist. I mobilize the community for social, economic, political or any other causes. Sadly, it is in this part of the world that one walks into a community and cites a project without community mobilization, advocacy and buy in. so I specialize in mobilizing the community to buy into your project so that when the project is ready, they can accept it as their own. I strategize for politicians how they can get votes, how many votes the need to win, how they can get resources for human, time, funds and management for elections. I am one of the best Campaigns and Elections Strategist in Nigeria, generally, I am a political consultant. I have been doing that in the country for a long time now, there are some politicians and governors who are my clients.
So, what did you contest as?
In 2007 I was appointed by Muritala Nyarko the then Governor of Adamawa State as Principal Special Assistant on National and International Relations. I was advising the governor on relationship with Community, NGOs, external bodies like UNDP, International Development Agencies / Partners. At the same time, I was given dual appointment, I was in charge of Adamawa State Sports so Adamawa United Football club with over 150 staff was under me. Despite the lucrative appointment with PDP, I left PDP and we formed ACN, then I took appointment with Mallam Nuhu Ribadu where I became his Personal Assistant, in fact, even when he came back from exile, we received him at the airport and we went to Babcock University where he was awarded Doctorate Degree. So, when ACN was formed, I was the first person to contest for Chairmanship position in my Local Government. Sadly, in Nigeria today, Governors are not sincere. They are crying that they want free and fair elections but their SIEC, State Independent Electoral Commission select their party members, give them ticket and sweat them in. Have you ever seen opposition win a local government election in this country? We have to change this, So, I contested, I know I won but the swore in someone who came number 3 in the election. I went back to my business, it was tough. By 2014, I contested again for Senate, I was barely 34 years old at that time. There were no elections in Adamawa State, The PDP did their primary elections in Abuja instead of Adamawa State and I pulled out because they already had their results before the election was conducted. Again in 2019 I contested; it was like swimming against the tide. None of the power brokers within the PDP was with me, I repeat, none! The current sitting Governor of Adamawa State had his own candidate who was actually the Former Speaker of Adamawa House of Assembly who was also the younger brother to the Emir of Mubi. So, I had my plan, the Pharisees had told Jesus, “If you are the savior, save yourself”, so as a consultant, I had to save myself, I planned how to win my primary elections, I knew the figure I needed to win. I knew that my election and that of Mr President will take place the same day the same time, so I will be swimming against the tide but this time around, it is the current. I was swimming against ocean tide. I was harassed by the military, they parked armored tank in front of my father’s house as if I were a thief, or armed robber of a Boko Haram member. I was harassed all over the place on the day of election. The APC people said I was lying but that was the fact. I knew exactly what to do, I know the country very well. I have mad supporters that when I tell them Go, they go! Shoot they shoot, stone they stone. I realize that they knew us and they were deliberately provoking us so that we can relax and they will utilize the opportunity. So, I told my people, don’t do anything violent. I have mad supporters everywhere but I know that election is a 24-hour thing. Within that 24 hours, go out there, cast your votes and defend it by all means. By all means possible! If you give them your vote and they steal it from you, they are not fit to live. Then my supporters took over the streets, they were not afraid of bullet or even death. We protected out votes and won with a wide margin. It might interest you to know that in the Northern Senatorial District, I got the highest vote. Higher than the Sitting Governor, higher than, also in the PDP I am the only person who won in my local government. Every other PDP candidate from the President, Governor, House of Assembly all lost, I was the only person who won.
Let’s talk about the Marlian angle, lots of people View Naira Marley as a deviant who mislead the young generation and then you, a Sitting Senator makes videos telling the world that you are a Marlian. Your hair, grooming also shows some level of deviant attitude. You openly projected Big Brother Winner, Laycon, some schools of thought believe that it is unbecoming of a sitting Senator. Let us know your understanding of being a Marlian and why are you a Marlian?
The word Marlian came out of the Founder, Robert Nesta Marley, Bob Marley is the founder of the Marlian world. He stood for justice, he stood against the imperialists, against slavery.
But the Marlian of today is directly linked with another young man Naira Marley whose ideals seems to clash with Bob Marley…
(Cuts in) No, Naira Marley is grossly misunderstood because he is very vocal, he speaks his mind, he speaks what he feels, he my not be right but he doesn’t hide it. What made even me to be mad with him was his song that tends to support yahoo boys. Those who sit on their laptops to steal from others, he said that you we are angry that they yahoo boys were using laptops to dupe the whites that no, they are rather repatriating the money they stole from us when they stole or Gold, Silver and Diamonds. See what happened in Congo, Ghana, Nigeria, the white people came and stole all our resources and even took us as slaves. We built their countries for them and they pay us back by calling us monkeys. And Naira Marley says no, they stole from us so by all means possible, let it be brought back to us. That is his sin. He said it raw and they say he is a bad man, why do people who speak their minds taken as bad people?
What of the Marlian dressing of not wearing underpants, and brasseries and the likes?
It is not true, I believe this is what the media wants people to believe Marlians are. The Marlians are not irresponsible people. They are highly responsible and patriotic people. People who stand for the truth, people who have a reason to die for what they believe in. People who believe that if they touch you and today, they will come for me tomorrow so let me stand up now. We believe that we must stand for one another. Bob Marley said something which is quoted in Romans chapter 12 vs 2 “do not conform to this world but transform yourself by renewing your mind” Marley said “Emancipate yourselves from Mental Slavery, none but ourselves can free our minds……..” he also sang “Get up stand, stand up for your rights …”, look at the country today, full of conservatives. I am not a conservative but we are living in the conservative society. In public offices, there are Dos and Donts on how to dress, behave, talk and they already gave us a metal jacket and I said, take the metal jacket off my body!
So as the youngest, how do you cope in the Senate?
I am good with my colleagues.
How do they view you?
They look at me as a radical. You know I started on a wrong footing.
How?
The video. So it was like an embarrassment to my colleagues. By fully knowing that I was innocent and was given jungle justice, the Senate set up a committee to investigate me, they wanted to bulldoze me and I shoot back immediately. You saw the video when I had a fracas with my own mother, her Excellency, Mrs Oluremi Tinubu, she is a fantastic woman, a Pastor in Redeemed Church, she is a very good woman but in the heat of that problem, we exchanged words. So I already sent a message loud and clear that despite my age, I was not there to be a houseboy. So when I came into the chambers in the heat of that video, Rauf Aregbesola came and I stood up in a national television and told him “Sir, You stood up for me before by giving me money to go and contest election in Adamawa State. You are a Yoruba man, I come from the core North, you welcomed me in your office and did that for me. You are a true Nigerian and I want all Nigerians to be like you” so they were shocked that I could interact with people like that. I contribute positively in the floor of the Senate. I research everything, I believe in research. Don’t talk if you don’t have anything to say. Even if it is aa shallow research, do it first before you talk. I have been making meaningful contributions because the senate is an ultraconservative place. People in their 60s and 70s, Former governors. We have about 17 former governors there so they cannot talk anyhow but I do, I speak my mind.
So,was that why you canvassed for Laycon? The same you canvassing for votes for him, how detribalized are you?
Honestly, I need to tell you the truth, I swear to God Almighty, I don’t know who is a Yorubaman, Igboman or Hausaman, when I see potentials, I go for it. I saw a very brilliant material in the house and everybody was looking down on him. They were looking at him as if he just jumped out of a test tube, looking at him as if he were a laboratory experiment, I honestly didn’t know his tribe canvassed for votes for him. Do you know Laycon is a First Class Product? You see brain at work, he is outspoken, he fell in love with a lady and he was rejected rudely. That was when I spoke out. I said Laycon, concentrate and win, when you come out here, I have girlfriends for you. Just come back with the money. The women will be here waiting. Immediately, I became an object of attack most especially from the North, Conservative North, we have social media in the North, even Boko Haram has social media to do campaign too. I received so much bashing from the North because they said I am supporting immorality, what is so immoral there? It is a perception; it is a mental thing. There are more immorality in our films, phones and everywhere. Big Brother is a blessing and not a curse. It brought in over N3 billion into the Nigerian economy, how can you throw this away? Some people are saying that alcohol is a curse yet they collect taxes and revenue from alcohol and they eat it. Why should we be hypocritical? That is how radical I am.
What is your stand on Domestic Violence and Rape especially in the north?
First of all, it is an international scourge, it is also a national scourge, it is not limited to the North, it is everywhere. It is a national problem, a national disaster and a crime with a very bad consequences for humanity because when you take someone’s dignity, the person is empty, his or her self-worth is gone. Generally, the media and religious institutions have roles to play because who are those raped? it is the church members that are raped. The daughters and sons of the Imams and those who go to the mosque are victims too. Our wives and daughters are victims too.
Don’t you think that this calls for stiffer penalties because if there is bill passed into law on stiffer penalties….
(Cuts in) It is there
I know but what of the implementation?
I was coming to that, Rape is not the same as Domestic Violence, someone can be raped in the farm, office or anywhere but talking about domestic Violence, we need to do more and victims have to speak out. There must be a deliberate campaign. A help line given out strictly for victims of Domestic Violence. Apart from just punishment, I honestly think that aggressors, lots of them if not all, need help because a lot of them are sick people. There was an incident that each time I remember it hurts me badly, the man was always beating his wife and daughter he said he couldn’t stop it, he knew he was wrong but couldn’t stop, one day he called his wife and apologize for all his actions and committed suicide immediately after apologizing to his family. That man was sinking, he needed help, he wanted to speak with somebody but he knew nobody would to listen to him because he knew that he was already termed a bad man, he sent his children away to the market and hung himself in the ceiling.
Where do you see yourself in 2023 are you re-contesting as a Senator or going further?
Let me say this loudly, I am in politics to stay, this country needs someone like me. The country is in dire need of people like me forget about the drama, I am not a corrupt man. I don’t steal government money. I don’t look at wealth as the number of houses I have or the number of cars I own or the places I go for holidays or the volume of my bank account. I don’t define wealth that way, I define wealth as the number of people I pull out of poverty, the number of families I make them smile, the number of children I send to school, the number of children that go to bed filled instead of sleeping hungry.
Can you beat your chest that you have done that in Adamawa State?
I have been doing that long before I actually got into power, as I speak, I have a lot of widows that I feed, I have a lot of orphans that I refuse to publicize that I have been paying their school fees paying for the healthcare for many. Just yesterday, I received a bill from one hospital to pay N800,000.00 for some patients I refer to hospitals whenever I come across such health issues. They are not Northerners only, from South, East, West and all over the country. When I receive calls, I refer them. They come to me because they know that I have compassion. What made Jesus to heal people was not just the power he has to heal but the compassion he had for people.
So back to 2023 ambition are you re-contesting?
I an in politics as I said before not to make money but touch the lives of people. As I speak now, there is a call for me to run for governorship in Adamawa State, and I am running and I am winning. Nobody can beat me. I can never contest any Election in this country again and loose. I can never contest any election again and loose go and write it down. I can never, never, never, loose.
It was nice speaking with you Sir.
