ATIKU’S SON, ABBA, DUMPS PDP FOR APC, RALLIES STRUCTURE FOR TINUBU’S 2027 RE-ELECTION

Abba Abubakar, son of former Vice President and 2023 Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) presidential candidate, Atiku Abubakar, has defected to the ruling All Progressives Congress (APC), pledging to work actively for the re-election of President Bola Ahmed Tinubu in 2027.
The defection was announced on Thursday at the National Assembly, Abuja, where Abba was formally received by the Deputy President of the Senate, Senator Barau Jibrin, alongside key APC leaders from the North-East geopolitical zone. Party leaders described the move as a significant political realignment with far-reaching implications.
Popularly known as “Abba,” the younger Abubakar officially resigned from the PDP and declared his allegiance to the APC, describing the decision as both historic and deeply personal. He also directed all coordinators and members of his political structure—the Haske Atiku Organisation, which he founded in 2022—to immediately join the APC and mobilise nationwide support for President Tinubu’s Renewed Hope Agenda.
“My name is Abubakar Atiku Abubakar, but everyone calls me Abba,” he said. “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.
“I am taking this step following the outstanding leadership style and quality of His Excellency, the Deputy President of the Senate, Senator Barau I. Jibrin. With this development, I will work closely with him to actualise the second-term bid of President Bola Ahmed Tinubu come 2027.”
Welcoming him into the party, the APC National Vice Chairman (North-East), Mustapha Salihu, described the defection as symbolic and transformative, noting that it reflected a new era of “politics without borders.”
“Today is one of my happiest days,” Salihu said. “We are looking beyond old social and political cleavages. This young man has seen the policies and programmes of the Tinubu administration and has decided to align with them.”
He assured Abba of full rights and equal opportunities within the APC, stressing that the party was driven by ideology and policy direction rather than personal ambition.
In his remarks, Senator Barau congratulated Abba for what he described as a “bold, wise and principled decision,” assuring him and his supporters of total backing from the party leadership.
“You made this decision based on ideology,” Barau said. “You didn’t come because of your father. You came because you believe in President Bola Ahmed Tinubu, his ideology and the Renewed Hope Agenda.”
The Deputy President of the Senate disclosed that Abba, who had been closely monitoring Nigeria’s political developments from the United States, was impressed by the Tinubu administration’s reforms and outreach initiatives, which influenced his return to Nigeria and eventual defection.
“He is young, focused and determined to contribute to shaping the future of our country. This is the kind of youth Nigeria needs,” Barau added.
Also speaking, a presidential aide, Alhaji Mahmoud Abdullahi, assured Abba of President Tinubu’s acceptance and support within the party.
“Just like Atiku, Tinubu is also your father,” Abdullahi said. “Your decision is like returning home. You and your coordinators have a future in this party.”
Speaking on behalf of the defecting group, the Kano State coordinator, Hon. Mubarak Musa, described the move as strategic, pledging total commitment to the APC’s success in 2027.
“We have worked tirelessly for our former platform. We will now double our efforts and deliver for the APC,” Musa said, describing Senator Barau as their political father and a key pillar of the party in the North.
The event’s high point was the formal renaming of Abba’s political structure from the Haske Atiku Organisation to the Haske Bola Tinubu Organisation, signalling a complete political realignment and an unequivocal declaration of support for President Tinubu’s second-term ambition.