Elisha Abbo, the Adamawa State senator who announced his defection from the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) to the ruling All Progressives Congress (APC), has said he left the party for his state governor, Ahmadu Fintiri, so he could replace him (the governor).

He disclosed this to journalists during a briefing on Wednesday.

Mr Abbo made known his decision to defect in a letter read out by the Senate President, Ahmad Lawan, at the start of the day’s plenary.

The announcement was made amidst cheers from mostly APC senators at the chamber.

He also said he decided to leave the PDP because of the “mismanagement” of the party’s issues by Governor Ahmadu Fintri of Adamawa State, which he said has led to the recent crisis in the state.

“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 was asked for the real reason he is leaving the PDP. He was also asked if he was overwhelmed by the governor and the crisis in the party, hence seeking solace in the APC.

In his response, the lawmaker said that internal democracy in the party has suffered in the last one year since the governor assumed office.

He said he was never overwhelmed by the governor, whom he described as insecure. He also said he could not be overwhelmed because he fought hard to bring the governor into power.

“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.

“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 as reported by Premium Times.