Abba 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), declaring support for President Bola Tinubu’s re-election in 2027.
The defection was announced on Thursday at the National Assembly in Abuja, where Abba was formally received by the Deputy President of the Senate, Senator Barau Jibrin, alongside senior APC leaders from the North-East.
Popularly known as “Abba,” he described his decision as both historic and personal, formally announcing his resignation from the PDP and alignment with the APC. He attributed the move to what he called the leadership qualities of Senator Barau and the policies of the Tinubu administration.
Abba also directed members and coordinators of his political platform, the Haske Atiku Organisation—founded in 2022—to immediately join the APC and mobilise support for President Tinubu’s Renewed Hope Agenda.
“With this development, I will work with Senator Barau to actualise the second-term bid of President Bola Ahmed Tinubu in 2027,” he said.
Welcoming him into the party, APC National Vice Chairman (North-East), Mustapha Salihu, described the defection as symbolic and far-reaching, noting that it signalled a new phase of “politics without borders.” He assured Abba of equal rights and opportunities within the party.
In his remarks, Senator Barau praised Abba’s decision as bold and principled, stressing that it was driven by ideology rather than family ties. He revealed that Abba, who had been following political developments from the United States, was impressed by the Tinubu administration’s reforms, prompting his return to Nigeria and decision to join the APC.
A presidential aide, Alhaji Mahmoud Abdullahi, also assured Abba of President Tinubu’s support, describing his defection as a “return home.”
Speaking on behalf of the defecting group, Kano State coordinator Hon. Mubarak Musa said all political activities of the group would now be coordinated through Senator Barau, pledging to intensify efforts for the APC ahead of 2027.
The event climaxed with the renaming of Abba’s political structure from the Haske Atiku Organisation to the Haske Bola Tinubu Organisation, marking a complete political realignment and open endorsement of President Tinubu’s second-term ambition.
