Herdsmen attacks: You’re a sell-out parading as senatorial candidate – Abba Moro comes hard on Francis Ottah Agbo

The office of the Senate Minority Leader and Senator representing Benue South Senatorial District, Abba Moro, has launched a scathing attack on former lawmaker Francis Ottah Agbo, describing him as a “sell-out” and accusing him of playing politics with the recent killings in Benue South.

In a statement issued on Thursday by his Media Adviser, Emmanuel Eche’Ofun John, Moro’s office dismissed a recent criticism by Agbo over the senator’s response to the attacks in Otukpo Local Government Area, saying the former House of Representatives member lacked a proper understanding of legislative responsibilities.

The statement was in response to Agbo’s allegation that Senator Moro was preoccupied with moving motions in Abuja instead of visiting victims of the attacks.

According to Moro’s office, “How a former lawmaker is thumbing down an important legislative activity as a motion for a condolence visit shows Ottah’s poor knowledge of legislation.”

The senator’s aide maintained that Moro had demonstrated empathy and leadership following the attacks, noting that he was among the first public officials to condemn the killings.

“Senator Moro was the first person to issue a statement to condemn the attacks, was the first to visit the affected communities in representative capacity and donated N2 million to the victims, was the first to raise a motion on the attacks on the floor of any assembly and the first to address a press conference to draw the attention of the national and international communities to the pogrom going on in his senatorial district,” the statement said.

The aide added that the senator would still visit the affected communities but “not for validation or praises.”

Defending Moro’s decision to raise the matter on the Senate floor, the statement insisted that speaking for victims at the national level was part of the senator’s constitutional responsibility.

“Senator Moro is not grandstanding in Abuja but effectively doing the work that he’s elected to do for his people; to loudly speak for them. Speaking for his people who are attacked, killed, maimed and sacked from their ancestral homes does not amount to dancing on the grave of those killed but a fight for them so that their death won’t be in vain.”

The statement turned its attention to Agbo, accusing him of exploiting the tragedy for political gain.

“If there’s anyone who’s dancing nakedly on the graves of the victims for cheap political gain, it’s Ottah,” it stated.

Moro’s office also alleged that Agbo only reacted because the senator had called on Governor Hyacinth Alia to take greater responsibility for securing lives and property in Benue South.

“Ottah has suddenly found his voice because his godfather, Governor Alia, was called upon by the senator to rise up to his constitutional responsibility of securing the lives and property of Benue South people.”

The statement further faulted Agbo’s claim that Senator Moro should deploy constituency resources to tackle insecurity, describing the argument as “absurd and ridiculous.”

“Senator Moro has no monthly allocation to tackle anything but an annual arrangement that comes with the budget. There’s no amount of money available to the senator to warrant the governor abandoning his own responsibilities to the people,” the statement read.

According to the senator’s office, Governor Alia remains constitutionally responsible for protecting lives and property, adding that the state’s monthly allocation and security vote should be used for the benefit of the people.

In its strongest criticism, Moro’s office described Agbo as a “sell-out,” alleging that his political ambition was driven by external interests rather than the welfare of the people of Benue South.

“Ottah has shown to be a sell-out. He continues to prove his party men right that his ambition is not about the people but an external plot to impose him on the people of Benue South so as to completely silence the senatorial district.”

The statement expressed  confidence that the people of Benue South would resist any attempt to impose a candidate on them and would elect their preferred senator in the next election.