Former Vice President and 2023 Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) presidential candidate, Atiku Abubakar, has spoken publicly on the decision of his son, Abba Abubakar, to defect from the PDP to the ruling All Progressives Congress (APC).
Atiku described his son’s move as a personal choice, stressing that it has no bearing on his own political convictions or actions.
Abba, popularly known as “Abba,” recently announced his defection at the National Assembly in Abuja, where he was formally received by the Deputy President of the Senate, Senator Barau Jibrin, alongside other APC leaders from the North-East. At the event, he pledged to mobilise support for President Bola Tinubu’s re-election in 2027.
Declaring his resignation from the PDP, Abba described the move as historic and deeply personal. He also directed members of his political platform, the Haske Atiku Organisation, founded in 2022, to join the APC and work for President Tinubu’s Renewed Hope Agenda.
“I am here today to formally announce my exit from my former party, where we worked in 2023, 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 ambition in 2027.
Reacting via his verified X (formerly Twitter) account, Atiku maintained that his son’s decision was made independently.
Related News:
“The decision of my son, Abba Abubakar, to join the APC is entirely personal,” Atiku wrote. “In a democracy, such choices are neither unusual nor alarming, even when family and politics intersect.”
He emphasised that he does not compel his children or anyone else in matters of political conscience.
“As a democrat, I do not coerce my own children in matters of conscience, and I certainly will not coerce Nigerians,” he stated.
Atiku, however, criticised the performance of the ruling party, saying his major concern remained what he described as poor governance under the APC and the economic and social hardships facing Nigerians.
“I remain resolute in working with like-minded patriots to restore good governance and offer Nigerians a credible alternative that brings relief, hope, and progress,” he added.