Abba Abubakar, son of former Vice President and 2023 presidential candidate of the Peoples Democratic Party, Atiku Abubakar, has defected from the PDP to the ruling All Progressives Congress, declaring his support for President Bola Tinubu’s second-term bid in 2027.
The defection was announced on Thursday at the National Assembly complex in Abuja, where Abba was formally received by the Deputy President of the Senate, Senator Barau Jibrin, alongside top APC leaders from the North-East zone.
Popularly known as Abba, the younger Abubakar described his decision to join the APC as historic and personal, noting that it followed careful reflection on the leadership direction of the country and the performance of the Tinubu administration.
Addressing party leaders and supporters, he announced his resignation from the PDP and directed members of his political structure, the Haske Atiku Organisation, founded in 2022, to immediately align with the APC and work for the success of 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 closely with Senator Barau to actualise the second-term ambition of President Bola Ahmed Tinubu in 2027. I have directed all coordinators and members of my organisation to join the APC and mobilise support for the President.”
Welcoming him into the party, the APC National Vice Chairman (North-East), Mustapha Salihu, described the defection as symbolic and far-reaching, saying it marked a shift towards what he called politics beyond old divides.
“This decision reflects a new phase of politics without borders. Abba has seen the policies and programmes of the Tinubu administration and has chosen to align with them,” Salihu said, assuring him of equal opportunities and full rights within the party.
Senator Barau, in his remarks, congratulated Abba for what he described as a bold and principled move, stressing that the decision was driven by ideology rather than family influence.
“You did not come here because of who your father is. You came because you believe in President Bola Ahmed Tinubu, his leadership style and the Renewed Hope Agenda,” Barau said.
The Deputy President of the Senate disclosed that Abba, who had been following political developments from the United States, was impressed by ongoing reforms and engagement by the Tinubu administration, which informed his return to Nigeria and eventual defection.
Also speaking, a presidential aide, Alhaji Mahmoud Abdullahi, assured Abba of President Tinubu’s acceptance and support within the APC, describing his move as a return home.
On behalf of the defecting group, Kano State coordinator of the organisation, Hon. Mubarak Musa, said all political activities of the group would now be coordinated through Senator Barau, pledging to intensify mobilisation for the APC ahead of 2027.
The event culminated in the formal renaming of the Haske Atiku Organisation to the Haske Bola Tinubu Organisation, symbolising a complete political realignment and an open endorsement of President Tinubu’s re-election bid.
