Political intrigues thickened in Abuja on Thursday as Abubakar Atiku Abubakar, son of former Vice President and two-time presidential candidate, Alhaji Atiku Abubakar, dramatically broke ranks with his father’s political camp, defecting from the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) to the ruling All Progressives Congress (APC) and openly declaring support for President Bola Ahmed Tinubu’s second-term ambition.
The move, which immediately sent shockwaves through Nigeria’s already fluid political space, was formally announced at the National Assembly, where the younger Atiku, popularly known as “Abba,” was received by the Deputy President of the Senate, Senator Barau Jibrin, alongside top APC leaders from the North-East.
But even before the applause died down, counter-narratives began to emerge from the Atiku Abubakar camp, which moved swiftly to cast the development as controversial and deeply troubling.
Responding to the development last night, Atiku in a tweet on his personal handle said:
“The decision of my son, Abubakar, to join the APC is entirely personal. In a democracy, such choices are neither unusual nor alarming, even when family and politics intersect.
As a democrat, I do not coerce my own children in matters of conscience, and I certainly will not coerce Nigerians.
“What truly concerns me is the poor governance of the APC and the severe economic and social hardships it has imposed on our people.
I remain resolute in working with like-minded patriots to restore good governance and offer Nigerians a credible alternative that brings relief, hope, and progress. AA”
Inside the packed venue, however, Abba left no room for ambiguity.
“My name is Abubakar Atiku Abubakar, but everyone calls me Abba. I am here today to formally announce my exit from my former party, where we worked in 2023, and my decision to join the APC,” he declared.
He went further, ordering the immediate collapse of his political base, the Haske Atiku Organisation, into the APC structure, and pledging total commitment to Tinubu’s re-election project.
“With this development, I will work with Senator Barau to actualise the second-term bid of President Bola Ahmed Tinubu in 2027. To this effect, I am directing all coordinators of my association to join the APC and work for President Tinubu,” he said.
Those remarks electrified the gathering, instantly reframing the event from a routine defection into a symbolic political statement — the son of the PDP’s most persistent presidential contender pitching his tent in the rival camp.
Welcoming him, APC National Vice Chairman (North-East), Comrade Mustapha Salihu, described the development as “politics without borders,” insisting it reflected the growing reach of Tinubu’s political machinery.
“This young man has seen the policies and programmes of this administration and decided to align with them,” Salihu said.
Senator Barau was even more pointed, portraying the defection as ideological and calculated, not emotional or familial.
“You did not 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 disclosed that Abba, who had been observing developments from the United States, was sufficiently impressed by Tinubu’s reforms to return home and plug into the APC project.
Adding another layer to the intrigue, a presidential aide, Alhaji Mahmoud Abdullahi, told Abba he had effectively “returned home,” assuring him of full acceptance within the ruling party.
“Just like Atiku, Tinubu is also your father. You and your coordinators have a future in this party,” he said.
On behalf of the defectors, Kano State coordinator of the group, Hon. Mubarak Musa, declared that their political structure would now work directly under Senator Barau to deliver the APC in 2027.
The drama was sealed with a powerful political signal: Haske Atiku Organisation was formally renamed the Haske Bola Tinubu Organisation, marking a complete break from its founding identity and confirming a full-scale realignment ahead of the next general election.
Beyond the ceremony, however, the political implications continue to reverberate — raising questions about internal tensions within Atiku’s camp, the depth of APC’s northern outreach, and the psychological warfare already unfolding on the long road to 2027
