Senator representing Adamawa North Senatorial District, Ishaku Elisha Abbo, on Wednesday, defected to the All Progressives Congress (APC) on the floor of the Senate.
Abbo, a first term lawmaker, was elected in 2019 to the Senate on the platform of the People’s Democratic Party (PDP).
With the defection of Abbo, the APC now has 60 Senators, PDP 42 Senators and the Young Progressive Party 1 Senator in the upper chamber.
It would be recalled that while four senators in the 9th have died, two senators contested and won election as Governor and Deputy Governor of Bayelsa state.
The four senators that have died in the 9th Senate include Senator Benjamin Uwajumogu (Imo North), Senator Ignatius Longjan (Plateau South), Senator Bayo Osinowo (Lagos East) and Senator Rose Oko (Cross River North).
Meanwhile, the Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC) has fixed December 5, 2020 for a bye-election to fill the six vacant seats in the Senate.
The Adamawa North lawmaker, in his letter read on the floor by Senate President Ahmad Lawan, said his decision to leave the PDP followed the “mismanagement of the PDP by Governor Ahmadu Umaru Fintiri in Adamawa State” which has led to crisis and polarization in the state chapter of the party.
Abbo’s notice of defection titled: “Movement of God’s people from the People’s Democratic Party (PDP) to the All Progressives Congress (APC)” reads: “I write to formally inform you Sir, the Senate and indeed Nigerians of my defection from the People’s Democratic Party (PDP) to the All Progressives Congress (APC).
“This is as a result of the mismanagement of the PDP by Governor Ahmadu Umaru Fintiri in Adamawa State which led to the crisis in the party that in turn led to the polarization of the party in the state (PDP and rPDP).
“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 journey may be long, but we are on the right track as I strongly believe that by the end of the tenure of Mr. President, Nigeria will be a better place.
“My Senate President Sir, it is worthy of note that in the history of Nigeria’s Nascent democracy, specifically from 1999 till date, no President has paid attention to the welfare of Nigerian Citizens like President Muhammadu Buhari as it is evident in packages such as:
“Conditional Cash Transfer (CCT); Homegrown School Feeding Program (HGFP); Trader Money; Market Money; Farmers’ Money; nPower; Special Public Works Programme, currently employing 1000 persons from each of the 774 local Government Areas;
“National Agricultural Land Development Authority (NALDA); Buhari Young Farmer’s Network; Artisans and Transportation Grants; Guaranteed Off-take Scheme; CAC Business Formalization Scheme; and Micro, Small & Medium Enterprises (MSME) Grants among others.
“Thus, in living up to the expectation of the good people of Adamawa North Senatorial District, I hereby defect from the People’s Democratic Party (PDP) to the All Progressives Congress (APC) with effect from today being Wednesday, the 25th day of November, 2020.”
After the letter was read by the Senate President, Abbo formally relocated to a seat on the side of the chamber occupied by APC senators.

By Sanni Onogu