Atiku Abubakar, the son of former vice president and 2023 Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) presidential candidate, has defected from the PDP to the ruling All Progressives Congress (APC) and expressed support for President Bola Ahmad Tinubu’s 2027 re-election bid.
Popularly known as Abba, he was formally welcomed into the APC on Thursday by Deputy Senate President Balau Jibrin at the State House, along with other party leaders from the North East geopolitical zone.
Party officials explained that the departure will be a major boost to APC’s efforts to unify the party ahead of the next general election.
Speaking at the event, Abba announced his resignation from the PDP and pledged full allegiance to the APC, saying the move was a personal and historic decision.
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He directed all coordinators and members of his political organization “Haske Atiku Organization” established in 2022 to immediately engage with the APC and work on President Tinubu’s “New Hope” agenda.
“I am here today to officially announce my decision to leave my former party and join the APC,” he said, adding that he would work closely with Senator Balau to ensure President Tinubu’s bid for a second term.
APC National Vice-Chairman (North East) Mustafa Salihu welcomed him, saying the defection was symbolic and reflected confidence in “politics without borders” and the Tinubu administration’s policies.
Similarly, Senator Barau congratulated Mr. Abba on what he termed a bold and principled decision, noting that it was driven by ideology rather than family ties.
He revealed that Aba, who had been following US developments, was impressed by the Tinubu administration’s reforms.
A highlight of the event was the renaming of Abba’s group from the Haske Atiku organization to the Haske Bola Tinubu organization, signaling a complete political realignment for 2027.
But reacting, former Vice President Atiku Abubakar said his son’s decision to join the APC was a personal choice and did not reflect his political position or commitment to providing an alternative platform to Nigerians.
Atiku, the leader of the African Democratic Congress (ADC), made this in response to reports that his son, Abba Abubakar, defected from the PDP to the APC due to leadership challenges within the opposition party.
Reacting through social media platforms, Atiku stressed that his son’s political decisions were taken independently.
“The decision of my son, Abba Abubakar, to join APC is completely personal,” he said.
The former vice president, who himself left the PDP to join the ADC last year, pointed out that differences in political choices within a family are not uncommon in a democratic environment. He stressed that democracy thrives on freedom of choice and conscience.
“In a democracy, such choices, even where family and politics intersect, are neither unusual nor alarming. As a democrat, I would not force my children on matters of conscience, and I certainly would not force them on any Nigerian,” he said.
However, Atiku renewed his criticism of the APC-led government, accusing it of imposing draconian economic policies that worsen living conditions for Nigerians.
