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 President Bola Ahmed Tinubu’s re-election bid in 2027.
The defection was announced on Thursday at the National Assembly in Abuja, a move widely seen in political circles as a symbolic and strategic setback to Atiku Abubakar’s presidential ambition and a boost to the APC’s consolidation efforts, particularly in the North-East.
Popularly known as “Abba,” Abubakar was formally received by the Deputy President of the Senate, Senator Barau Jibrin, alongside other top APC leaders from the North-East geopolitical zone. Party leaders described the development as a major political realignment.
Addressing party leaders and supporters, Abubakar formally announced his resignation from the PDP and declared his full alignment with the APC, describing the decision as historic and deeply personal. He also directed all coordinators and members of his political structure, the Haske Atiku Organisation, founded in 2022, to immediately defect to the APC and mobilise support for President Tinubu’s Renewed Hope Agenda.
“My name is Abubakar Atiku Abubakar, but everyone calls me Abba. I am here today to formally announce my exit from my former party and my decision to join the APC,” he said.
“With this development, I will work with Senator Barau to actualise the second-term bid of President Bola Ahmed Tinubu come 2027. To this effect, I am directing all coordinators of my association to join the APC and work for President Tinubu,” he added.
Welcoming him into the party, APC National Vice Chairman (North-East), Mustapha Salihu, described the defection as symbolic and far-reaching, noting that it reflected a new phase of “politics without borders.”
“Today is one of my happiest days. This young man has seen the policies and programmes of the Tinubu administration and decided to align with them,” Salihu said, assuring Abubakar of equal rights and opportunities within the party.
In his remarks, Senator Barau congratulated Abubakar for what he described as a bold and principled decision, stressing that it was based on ideology 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.
He added that Abubakar, who had been following political developments from the United States, was impressed by the Tinubu administration’s reforms and outreach efforts, which influenced his return to Nigeria and eventual defection.
Also speaking, a presidential aide, Alhaji Mahmoud Abdullahi, assured Abubakar of President Tinubu’s acceptance and support within the APC, describing his decision as a return home.
On behalf of the defecting group, Kano State Coordinator, Mubarak Musa, said all political activities of the group would now be coordinated through Senator Barau, pledging to work tirelessly for the APC ahead of the 2027 elections.
The highlight of the event was the formal renaming of Abubakar’s political structure from the Haske Atiku Organisation to the Haske Bola Tinubu Organisation, signaling a complete political realignment and a clear endorsement of President Tinubu’s second-term bid.