Defection Not a Family Matter, Says Atiku as Son Joins APC

Defection Not a Family Matter, Says Atiku as Son Joins APC.

Former Vice President Atiku Abubakar has broken his silence after his son, Abubakar Atiku Abubakar, popularly known as Abba, left the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) to join the ruling All Progressives Congress (APC).

In a statement posted on his X account on Thursday, Atiku said the move was his son’s private decision and not something that should worry his supporters.

“My son Abba’s choice to join the APC is entirely his own,” Atiku wrote. “In a democratic system, these kinds of personal political decisions happen, even within families, and that’s normal.”

He stressed his commitment to personal freedom, adding, “I believe in democracy, which means I don’t force my own children on matters of belief, and I will never force the Nigerian people either.”

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However, the former presidential candidate quickly turned the conversation away from family drama and toward his usual target: the APC’s performance in government.

“What should really matter to all of us is not family matters, but the poor way Nigeria is being run by the APC and the deep economic and social problems it has caused for ordinary citizens,” he stated.

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Atiku reaffirmed his political mission, saying, “My focus is unchanged. I am committed to partnering with other patriots to bring back proper governance and to give Nigerians a real option that delivers relief, hope, and forward movement.”

The defection itself was a public affair. Abba was formally welcomed into the APC at the National Assembly complex in Abuja. The event was led by the Deputy President of the Senate, Senator Barau Jibrin, and other APC leaders from the North-East.

Addressing the gathering, Abba confirmed his resignation from the PDP. “My name is Abubakar Atiku Abubakar, though I go by Abba. I am here today to say I have left my former party and I am now a member of the APC,” he announced.

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He praised Senator Barau’s leadership as a reason for his switch. “I am joining the APC because of the quality of leadership I have seen from His Excellency, the Deputy President of the Senate,” he explained.

Abba also made his new loyalties clear, committing to work for President Bola Tinubu’s re-election. “I will work with Senator Barau to make sure President Bola Ahmed Tinubu wins a second term in 2027. I am instructing all the coordinators in my association to join the APC and campaign for President Tinubu,” he said.

The move places Abba in the camp actively working for the political success of the man his father contested against in the last presidential election, setting up a unique dynamic within one of Nigeria’s prominent political families.

Defection Not a Family Matter, Says Atiku as Son Joins APC.