Ex-senator Dumps APC, Labels Party a “Killer,” Backs Atiku-Led Coalition as Nigeria’s Future
Senator Elisha Ishaku Abbo, a two-term senator who once represented Adamawa Northern Senatorial District, has publicly severed ties with the All Progressives Congress (APC).
With a voice thick with conviction and a heart seemingly burdened by betrayal, Abbo didn’t mince words during a Sunday Mass at St. Paul’s Parish Sangere in Girei Local Government Area, branding the APC a “killer” and a destructive force—even to its own members.
His departure, announced before a congregation of worshippers, marks a bold pivot toward a coalition movement spearheaded by former Vice President Atiku Abubakar, a figure Abbo now champions as the nation’s best hope against what he calls a sinking ship of a ruling party.
APC is not a party. Branding the APC a “killer” and a destructive force—even to its own members
The senator’s fiery condemnation of the APC came with a deeply personal sting.
He accused party stakeholders—from national heavyweights to state-level operatives—of orchestrating his ouster as a sitting senator, a move he claims was retribution for his unwavering stance against the controversial Muslim-Muslim ticket during the 2023 elections.
“APC is not a party,” Abbo declared, his words echoing off the church walls. “A party that kills her own children and celebrates the downfall of their own members?
A party that kills her own children and celebrates the downfall of their own members?
A party that does anti-party against their own candidates? That’s not a party fit for me to be in. It doesn’t qualify me.”
For Abbo, the APC’s actions were not just political maneuvers—they were a betrayal of trust, a dagger plunged into the back of a loyal son.
Reflecting on his journey, Abbo recounted how he left the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) in 2020, welcomed with open arms by APC national figures, including then-Senate President Ahmad Lawan and a host of colleagues.
HE Atiku Abubakar
Yet, that warm embrace turned cold, he alleged, when the party turned on him. “They received me, only to go to court and expel me for disagreeing with their Muslim-Muslim ticket illegality,” he said, his tone a mix of disbelief and defiance.
The memory of his expulsion—upheld by a Yola High Court in January 2023 and later cemented by the Court of Appeal in October 2023—still burns, a wound he says the APC celebrated rather than mourned.
They received me, only to go to court and expel me for disagreeing with their Muslim-Muslim ticket illegality
But Abbo’s announcement was more than a farewell to a party he now despises—it was a clarion call for a new political dawn.
Standing before the congregation, he revealed his next move: joining a coalition movement led by Atiku Abubakar, a seasoned statesman whose vision, Abbo believes, can rescue Nigeria from the APC’s grip.
“I’m not joining SDP or any other political party,” he clarified. “We are waiting for a political party, and we have our own leader, the former Vice President Alhaji Atiku Abubakar.
We are waiting for a political party, and we have our own leader, the former Vice President Alhaji Atiku Abubakar
He has been having lengthy discussions with the likes of Peter Obi, Nasir Ahmadu El-Rufai, and others, and we are thinking of forming our own coalition party to defeat APC.”
It’s a vision of unity, a gathering of political titans, and Abbo sees himself as a foot soldier in this brewing revolution.
His critique of the APC grew sharper as he turned his gaze to Adamawa State, where he once wielded influence as a senator.
“The Adamawa APC is a one-man show,” he lamented, painting a picture of a party crippled by internal sabotage and petty vendettas.
Senator Ishaku Abbo
“During my second-term re-election bid, the party denied me everything—agent tags, money, all the support I was supposed to enjoy as an elected party member.”
For Abbo, this wasn’t just neglect; it was a deliberate act of war against one of their own. “As far as I’m concerned today, I don’t see myself as a member of APC,” he said, his resolve unshakable. “I don’t see APC winning an election in Adamawa.”
As far as I’m concerned today, I don’t see myself as a member of APC. I don’t see APC winning an election in Adamawa
Amid the political firestorm, Abbo’s presence at St. Paul’s Parish wasn’t all about settling scores.
In a moment of grace that softened the edges of his fiery rhetoric, he redeemed a promise made the previous year at Bazza, pledging support for the church’s ongoing building project.
The under-shepherd, Reverend Father Cosmos Umaru, beamed as the congregation welcomed Abbo warmly—a reminder that even in the chaos of politics, human connections endure.
It was a poignant touch, a man of the people keeping his word amid the storm.
Abbo’s defection is more than a personal saga; it’s a seismic shift that could reshape Adamawa’s—and Nigeria’s—political future.
His claim that the APC “can never win an election in Adamawa” is a gauntlet thrown down, a dare to a party he now views as an enemy of progress.
As he aligns with Atiku’s coalition, whispers of a new political force grow louder, one that could unite disparate voices—Obi’s grassroots fervor, El-Rufai’s strategic mind, and Abubakar’s seasoned leadership—into a formidable challenge against the APC’s dominance.
For now, Abbo stands at a crossroads, a warrior unbowed, his words ringing with the weight of experience and the hope of redemption.
Whether his prophecy of the APC’s demise in Adamawa comes true remains to be seen. But one thing is certain: Senator Elisha Ishaku Abbo has lit a fuse, and Nigeria is watching to see where the explosion leads.
