The Senator representing Adamawa North, Elisha Abbo, has declared his intention to run for governor in 2023.
Abbo explained that he dumped the Peoples Democratic Party to join the All Progressives Congress, in order to pursue his governorship ambition.
Abbo, whose letter of defection was read on the floor of the Senate by the Senate President, Ahmad Lawan, on Wednesday, however insisted at a news conference after plenary, that there is a major crisis in the partly in Adamawa State.
The lawmaker further expressed optimism that he will defeat Ahmadu Fintiri in the gubernatorial race despite the fact that he fought for the governor’s victory back in 2019.
He counted claims that he was chased out of the opposition party by Fintiri over his reported mismanagement of the party.
He said: “I’m not overwhelmed by Governor Fintiri. I fought to bring him to power. The governor did not defeat me. The governor chased me out (of PDP). I actually gave way so I will go and take his seat from him.”
He also said he was not ready to resign as a Senator as was demanded by the PDP.
National Publicity Secretary of the PDP, Kola Ologbondiyan, while reacting to Abbos defection said, “Senator Abbo, is fully aware of the constitutional implication of his decision to defect to another party; which is that, he cannot continue to occupy the seat of the PDP in the Senate.
“The place of any Senators who changed parties except on the grounds provided by the Constitution is very clear and the PDP will not allow Senator Abbo to run away with our mandate.”
In response, Abbo said, “Did they ask (Governor Dave) Umahi to resign? Go and ask them (PDP). Governor Umahi just defected from PDP to APC as a sitting governor of Ebonyi State. Did they ask him to resign?
“There is a crisis in the (PDP) party in my state. That is the truth. I believe internal democracy in the party has suffered in the last one year when the governor assumed office.
“As you all know, it is only in Adamawa State that we have reformed PDP. There is a crisis in the party in Adamawa State and the governor is the cause of the crisis.”
Earlier, the in his letter of defection which was read on the floor of the Senate by the Senate President, Ahmed Lawan, the Senator said, “Today, I join the APC and the President of the Federal Republic of Nigeria, President Muhammadu Buhari, to build the Nigeria of our dreams.”
The APC now has 60 senators, while PDP has 42. There are currently six vacant Senate seats.
