Atiku Backs Son’s APC Switch Amid PDP Feud

Atiku Abubakar, former Nigerian Vice President and PDP presidential candidate, has publicly endorsed his son Abba Abubakar’s defection to the ruling All Progressives Congress (APC) as a personal choice, distancing it from family coercion. This statement follows Abba’s high-profile announcement on January 14, 2026, at the National Assembly in Abuja, where he pledged support for President Bola Tinubu’s 2027 re-election bid.​

Event Background

Abba Abubakar, popularly known as Abba, resigned from the PDP and joined the APC, citing admiration for Senate Deputy President Barau Jibrin’s leadership and the party’s ideological direction. He was warmly received by APC leaders from the North-East, including renaming his Haske Atiku Organisation to Haske Bola Tinubu Organisation, directing all members to mobilize for Tinubu’s Renewed Hope Agenda.​ Party officials hailed the move as a “bold and principled decision,” signaling a strategic boost for APC ahead of 2027 elections.

Atiku’s Full Response

Atiku emphasized democratic freedoms in politics, stating he neither influences his children’s conscience nor Nigerians at large. He shifted focus to APC’s governance failures, vowing collaboration with patriots for better leadership, economic relief, and progress.​ Full rewritten statement: “Abba Abubakar’s choice to align with the APC reflects his individual conviction. In democracy, family-political crossovers spark no surprise. As a committed democrat, I respect personal choices—mine for my children and for every citizen. My priority remains tackling APC’s mismanagement, which fuels economic woes and social distress. With fellow patriots, I press on to deliver governance that restores hope.”

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Political Implications

This defection highlights deepening PDP-APC rivalries, with Abba’s network potentially swaying North-East votes toward Tinubu.​ Critics view it as a blow to Atiku’s opposition stance, yet his response reframes it as non-issue, prioritizing policy critique over personal drama.​