Senator Abbo dumps PDP, joins APC to help Buhari 'build Nigeria of our dreams'

Abbo says no democratic president has paid attention to the welfare of Nigerians as much as Buhari.

Senator Elisha Abbo has dumped the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) for the All Progressives Congress (APC).

The lawmaker was elected the representative of Adamawa North Senatorial district in the 2019 elections on the platform of the PDP.

During plenary on Wednesday, November 25, 2020, Senate President Ahmad Lawan, read a letter of defection signed by Abbo stating his change of party platforms.

Abbo said his exit from the PDP was as a result of the mismanagement of the party's Adamawa chapter by the state governor, Ahmadu Fintiri, whom he accused of causing an internal crisis.

Abbo further noted that he joined the APC to assist President Muhammadu Buhari build a better Nigeria.

The lawmaker claimed that no democratic president since 1999 has paid attention to the welfare of Nigerians as much as Buhari.

"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," he said.

Abbo's tenure as a lawmaker has been overshadowed by an assault scandal for which he was arraigned in court on criminal charges.

The emergence of a video that captured the lawmaker assaulting Osimibibra Warmate in May 2019 led to widespread outrage.

He was subsequently charged with two counts of criminal use of force and criminal assault when he was arraigned before a Chief Magistrates' Court in Abuja on July 8, 2019.

The magistrate, Abdullahi Ilelah, ruled in July 2020 that the evidence and exhibits tendered to the court did not prove the criminal charges against the lawmaker.

However, a fundamental rights suit filed by Warmate before the FCT High Court found Abbo liable for the assault according to a ruling delivered on September 28.

Justice Samira Bature ordered the lawmaker to pay a fine of N50 million and tender a public apology to his victim.

Abbo has appealed the judgement, noting that his victim used inappropriate means of seeking redress.

The lawmaker also considered the N50 million award in favour of Warmate as excessive.