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), pledging to work for the re-election of President Bola Tinubu in 2027.
The defection was announced on Thursday at the National Assembly, Abuja, and is being widely interpreted in political circles as a symbolic and strategic setback to Atiku Abubakar’s presidential ambition, as well as a boost to the APC’s consolidation efforts in the North-East.
Popularly known as “Abba,” the younger Atiku was formally received by the Deputy President of the Senate, Senator Barau Jibrin, alongside key APC leaders from the North-East geopolitical zone.
Addressing party leaders and supporters, Abubakar 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 join 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. I am directing all coordinators of my association to join the APC and work for President Tinubu,” he added.
Welcoming him into the party, the APC National Vice Chairman (North-East), Mustapha Salihu, described the defection as symbolic and far-reaching, noting that it signalled a new era of “politics without borders.”
“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 his move was driven by ideology rather than personal or family considerations.
“You didn’t come here because of your father. You came because you believe in President Bola Ahmed Tinubu and the Renewed Hope Agenda,” Barau said, adding that Abba had closely followed the administration’s reforms before deciding to join the APC.
A presidential aide, Alhaji Mahmoud Abdullahi, also assured Abubakar of President Tinubu’s acceptance and support within the party, describing his defection as a “return home.”
On behalf of the defecting group, Kano State Coordinator, Mubarak Musa, said the move was strategic and pledged total commitment to the APC’s success in 2027.
The event’s highlight was the formal renaming of Abba’s political platform from the Haske Atiku Organisation to the Haske Bola Tinubu Organisation, signalling a complete political realignment and open endorsement of President Tinubu’s second-term bid.
