Abbo Finds Blessing in Retirement, Growing His Family Tree

Senator Ishaku Abbo, former representative of Adamawa North, recently declared his court-ordered Senate exit a “blessing in disguise.” Abbo, now delightfully at home, claims that time off the Senate floor finally allowed him to focus on family matters – and more precisely, fatherhood. With two babies on the way, he says it took leaving office to see his family tree start growing.

Abbo humorously attributes his newfound fatherly role to divine intervention, suggesting that “God used his enemies” to bring him this “blessing.”

The former senator, never one to miss a dramatic flourish, recounted that while Senate earnings couldn’t buy time, they might have obscured his family’s needs – until fate stepped in, of course.

This isn’t the first time Abbo has charmed his way into headlines. Readers might remember his assertion that senators’ salaries were too small for anything significant. His former N14.4 million monthly paycheck, he explained, often evaporated before meeting all the pressing needs of his constituency. One man’s reality, perhaps another’s exaggeration?

Known for bold claims, Abbo hasn’t stopped offering solutions, either. Recently, he pitched a plan to President Bola Tinubu to slash fuel prices by 2025, dropping the cost to N480 per litre. Certainly a godsend to Nigerians still reeling from rising living costs, except that it is the kind of grand promise that has become Abbo’s specialty.

Despite his “retirement,” the senator-turned-father hasn’t lost his touch for colourful remarks. He even chastised Adamawa’s leadership for neglecting the state’s electricity potential, going ahead to urge a focus on power generation rather than more flyovers. Practical or not, the man’s commentary shows that he is never short on opinions.

His colleagues in the Senate may be missing his very imaginative outlook. Some might even miss the pep talks on “wardrobe allowances” and the burdens of a senator’s meagre millions. Others, however, might be more relieved that the gossip columns have inherited the delightful spectacle that is Abbo.

Whether he’s transforming “enemy” decisions into family blessings or proposing energy reforms from his living room, Abbo shows no signs of slowing down. With each colourful comment, he reminds us that, if nothing else, he’s just as prolific in retirement as he was in office.