Elisha Abbo, senator representing Adamawa North senatorial district has defected from the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) to the All Progressive Congress (APC).
His defection was announced at the floor of the Nigerian Senate today during plenary. Senate President, Ahmad Lawan, read the letter wherein Mr Abbo notified of his colleagues of his decision to join the ruling party.
“Thus, in living up to the expectation of the good people of Adamawa North Senatorial District, I hereby defect from the PDP to the APC with effect from today being Wednesday, the 25th day of November, 2020,” part of the statement read.
The lawmaker, when asked why he left the opposition party, said his ambition to become governor and the internal crisis in the party whom he accused the state governor, Ahmadu Fintri, of causing, necessitated his decision.
“If there is no crisis, how do you have another party in the PDP? There is a crisis in the party in Adamawa State and the governor is the cause of the crisis. He is insecure,” Abbo, who made headline last year for assaulting a lady in Abuja, told journalist after plenary.
“I cannot be overwhelmed because I know how hard I fought to bring Governor Fintiri to power. Go and check the record, I am not boasting. I am the main man that fought to bring Fintiri to power.
“My local government, Mubi North, is the second most populous in the state. The outgoing governor of Adamawa State is from Mubi North. I am the PDP there. Every PDP steward is from Mubi North, yet they couldn’t defeat me. I defeated all of them because I moved with the grassroots.
“If anyone is saying he is more powerful than me, then let 2023 come, we will meet them there. One thing about elections is that today, people are becoming wiser and wiser.
“So, to answer you, the governor did not defeat me. The governor did not chase me out. I actually gave way so that I will go and take his seat from him,” he said.
His defection comes weeks after the Federal Capital Territory (FCT) High Court in Maitama ordered him to pay N50 million as compensation to Osimibibra Warmate, the lady he assaulted in 2019.
