Nigerian Senator Ishaku Abbo, an influential politician from Adamawa State, has once again become the subject of controversy following the release of a viral video allegedly implicating him in a sex scandal. The senator, known for his brash political style and previous brushes with controversy, vehemently denied the allegations at a press conference held Thursday evening, labeling them as a “blackmail tactic” orchestrated by his political opponents.
The leaked footage, which surfaced online late last week, allegedly shows a light-skinned man engaging in sexual activity with a married woman from Adamawa State. Though the video does not clearly reveal the man’s face, rumors quickly linked the man to Senator Abbo. The senator, however, dismissed the claims, asserting that the video does not provide sufficient evidence to identify him. “How can you identify a person without seeing his face, his body, only parts of his legs, and you say it is Senator Abbo?” he questioned during the press briefing.
Abbo, who was recently removed from his Senate seat by the Nigerian Court of Appeal in October 2023, suggested that the timing of the scandal was no coincidence, accusing his rivals of attempting to sabotage his political career through “timid blackmail.” The senator was sacked after the Court of Appeal nullified his re-election in favor of his opponent, Amos Yohanna of the People’s Democratic Party (PDP). Despite this setback, Abbo remains defiant in his political ambitions, stating that he will not be swayed by what he calls smear campaigns.
“Blackmail cannot stop me from winning elections,” Abbo declared confidently. He cited a similar case involving a fellow northern senator, who was embroiled in a sex tape scandal yet successfully retained his seat. “A senator from one of the northern states was shown in a sex video with his entire body, but he still won an election to the Senate, and his wife won an election to the House of Representatives. My people love me. No amount of blackmail can stop me,” Abbo asserted.
Despite the gravity of the accusations, no independent verification of the senator’s involvement in the scandal has been confirmed. However, the video has continued to circulate widely on social media, further fueling speculation about the senator’s conduct.
This is not the first time Senator Abbo has faced public outrage. In 2019, during his initial term in the Senate, he was embroiled in another scandal when a surveillance video showed him physically assaulting a young nursing mother at an Abuja sex toy shop. The incident drew widespread condemnation, though the senator later issued a public apology and avoided any significant legal repercussions.
Abbo has vowed to take legal action against those he believes are responsible for the release of the video, emphasizing his resolve to clear his name. His political career, once considered promising, has been repeatedly punctuated by controversies that cast a shadow over his public image.
While his political future remains uncertain following his removal from the Senate, Abbo has made it clear that he has no intention of stepping out of the public eye anytime soon. He remains a central figure in the political discourse of Adamawa State, where his influence continues to stir both support and criticism.
Senator Ishaku Abbo, first elected to the Nigerian Senate in 2019 under the platform of the People’s Democratic Party (PDP), later defected to the All Progressives Congress (APC) in 2020. Known for his youth and energy, Abbo made history as the youngest senator ever elected in Nigeria’s Fourth Republic at the age of 41. His tenure in the Senate was marked by his work on committees including Public Health, Primary Healthcare, and Communications.
However, his time in the Senate has not been without controversy, and his latest scandal has only deepened the public’s scrutiny of his political career. Abbo’s ability to navigate this latest storm may very well define the next chapter of his public life.
