Aregbesola Sponsored My Election With His Salary, Elisha Abbo Reveals

Senator Elisha Abbo (Adamawa North – PDP) has publicly thanked former Osun State governor, Rauf Aregbesola, for funding his ambition seven years ago.

Aregbesola appeared before the Senate on Monday, July 29, 2019 to be screened as one of President Muhammadu Buhari ‘s ministerial nominees.

While entertaining questions from lawmakers, Abbo reminded Aregbesola how he helped him while he was contesting for the chairmanship of his local government “as a very tiny young man” in 2012.

He said, “I visited you in Ikeja in your house. You never knew me. You asked me to come in and I stated my problems and you told me to come to Government House in Osogbo and meet you.

“When I got there, I thought I’d stay there for three days without seeing the governor. I filled a form, you saw my name and ushered me into your office upstairs and gave me the whole of your salary for that month to go to Adamawa and contest election.

“Today, through the grace of God, I’m one of the people confirming your nomination.”

Abbo went on to ask that Aregbesola be allowed to “Take a bow and go”, a privilege accorded to some nominees who are cleared by the Senate without questioning.

“I want to join my colleagues to please allow this detribalised, honest Nigerian to take a bow and go and also ask Mr President to give you a big ministry,” Abbo said.

Abbo has been in the public eye of recent after he was caught on tape repeatedly slapping a woman during an altercation in Abuja in May.

He’s currently standing trial before a Chief Magistrates’ Court in Abuja, and pleaded not guilty to two counts of criminal use of force and criminal assault in July.

In response to Abbo, Aregbesola said he’d forgotten the encounter, but praised former Lagos governor, Bola Tinubu , for tutoring him on being kind to whoever reaches out to him for support.