L-R: Barau Jibrin, deputy senate president, welcoming Abba Atiku Abubakar into APC
By Amah
Kindly share:
Abba Atiku Abubakar, son of former Vice-President Atiku Abubakar, has defected to the All Progressives Congress, APC, declaring his intention to mobilise grassroots support for the re-election of President Bola Ahmed Tinubu in 2027.
Abubakar was formally received into the ruling party on Thursday evening in Abuja by Barau Jibrin, Deputy President of the Senate, and Mustapha Salihu, APC National Vice-Chairman (North-East).
As part of his defection, Abubakar announced the rebranding of his political movement, originally founded in 2022 as the Atiku Haske Organisation, to the Haske Bola Tinubu Organisation, signalling a complete political realignment.
He directed all coordinators and members of his structure nationwide to immediately register with the APC and begin mobilisation for Tinubu’s Renewed Hope Agenda.
“My name is Abubakar Atiku Abubakar, popularly known as Abba. I am here today to formally announce my exit from my former party, where we worked during the 2023 elections, and my decision to join the APC,” he said.
“This decision follows the outstanding leadership style and quality of the Deputy President of the Senate, Senator Barau Jibrin. I will work closely with him to actualise President Bola Ahmed Tinubu’s second-term bid in 2027.”
Welcoming him, Salihu described the defection as symbolic and far-reaching, saying it underscored the APC’s appeal beyond traditional political divides.
“Today is one of my happiest days. We are moving beyond old political and social cleavages. This young man has studied the policies and programmes of the Tinubu administration and chosen to align with them,” Salihu said.
He added that the APC is driven by ideology and policy direction rather than personal ambition, assuring Abubakar of equal rights and opportunities within the party.
In his remarks, Senator Barau congratulated Abubakar for what he termed a bold and principled decision, stressing that his move was based on conviction rather than family influence.
“You didn’t come here because of your father. You came because you believe in President Bola Ahmed Tinubu, his ideology, and the Renewed Hope Agenda,” Barau said.
The deputy senate president noted that Abubakar, who had been closely following Nigeria’s political developments from the United States, was impressed by the Tinubu administration’s reforms and inclusive outreach.
“He is young, focused, and determined to contribute to shaping the future of our country. This is the kind of youth Nigeria needs,” Barau added.
Meanwhile, the Lagos State chapter of the APC has mocked former Vice President Atiku Abubakar following the decision of his son to reject the ADC and align with the APC.
In a statement issued on Thursday, Lagos APC spokesman, Seye Oladejo, described the move as a major setback to Atiku Abubakar’s political credibility. The statement was titled, “You Can’t Trust Atiku More Than His Son.”
Oladejo said the decision by Atiku’s son to join the ruling party underscored what he called a “collapse of confidence” in the former vice president’s political judgment.
According to him, the development speaks louder than public statements and campaign rhetoric, raising questions about Atiku’s ability to inspire loyalty even within his immediate circle.
He further accused Atiku Abubakar of long-standing ideological inconsistency, describing his political career as marked by frequent defections and shifting alliances driven by presidential ambition.
Tracing Atiku’s movement across political parties over the years, Oladejo claimed the former vice president lacked firm ideological grounding and accused him of prioritising personal ambition over party loyalty.
The APC spokesman described his son’s defection as a rejection of what he termed “recycled politics and expired ambitions,” adding that it reflected a generational shift away from old political patterns.
Oladejo said the move also amounted to an endorsement of the APC’s governance record and President Bola Ahmed Tinubu’s Renewed Hope Agenda.
“When credibility collapses at home, it cannot be restored on the national stage,” he said, adding that leadership without loyalty at the grassroots level cannot command public confidence.
He welcomed Abubakar Atiku Abubakar into the APC and urged Nigerians to see the development as a sign of changing political realities.
“The era of political inconsistency and ambition without ideology is fading,” Oladejo said. “If Atiku’s son has moved on, Nigerians should take note.”
The APC has witnessed a wave of defections from opposition parties in recent months.
In a related development, the party has commenced a nationwide electronic registration and revalidation exercise to properly document its membership.
