LAGOS JANUARY 16TH (NEWSRANGERS)-Abubakar Atiku Abubakar, son of former Vice President and 2023 Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) presidential candidate, Atiku Abubakar, has defected from the PDP to the ruling All Progressives Congress (APC), declaring his support for the re-election of President Bola Ahmed Tinubu in 2027.
Popularly known as Abba, he was formally received into the APC on Thursday at the National Assembly Complex by Barau Jibrin, Deputy President of the Senate, alongside other party leaders from the North-East geopolitical zone.
Party officials described the defection as a significant boost to the APC’s consolidation efforts ahead of the next general election.
Speaking at the event, Abba announced his resignation from the PDP and pledged full loyalty to the APC, describing the move as a personal and historic decision.
He directed all coordinators and members of his political organisation, the Haske Atiku Organisation founded in 2022, to immediately align with the APC and work for President Tinubu’s Renewed Hope Agenda.
“I am here today to formally announce my exit from my former party and my decision to join the APC,” he said, adding that he would work closely with Senator Barau to actualise President Tinubu’s second-term bid.
Welcoming him, Mustapha Salihu, APC National Vice Chairman (North-East), described the defection as symbolic, saying it reflected “politics without borders” and confidence in the Tinubu administration’s policies.
Similarly, Senator Barau congratulated Abba on what he termed a bold and principled decision, noting that it was driven by ideology rather than family ties.
He disclosed that Abba, who had been following developments from the United States, was impressed by the Tinubu’s administration’s reforms.
The highlight of the event was the renaming of Abba’s group from Haske Atiku Organisation to Haske Bola Tinubu Organisation, signalling a complete political realignment ahead of 2027.
But reacting, former Vice President Atiku Abubakar said that his son’s decision to join the APC was a personal choice that does not reflect his own political stance or commitment to providing an alternative platform for Nigerians.
Atiku, a chieftain of the African Democratic Congress (ADC), made this clarification following reports that his son, Abba Abubakar, had defected from the PDP to the APC, citing leadership challenges within the opposition party.
Reacting via his social media platforms, Atiku stressed that his son’s political decision was taken independently.
“The decision of my son, Abba Abubakar, to join the APC is entirely personal,” he said.
The former vice president, who himself left the PDP last year for the ADC, noted that differing political choices within families is not unusual in a democratic setting. He emphasised that democracy thrives on freedom of choice and conscience.
“In a democracy, such choices are neither unusual nor alarming, even when family and politics intersect. As a democrat, I do not coerce my own children in matters of conscience, and I certainly will not coerce Nigerians,” he said.
Atiku, however, renewed his criticism of the APC-led government, accusing it of imposing harsh economic policies that have worsened the living conditions of Nigerians.
BusinessDay
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