Former vice president, Atiku Abubakar, has reacted to the defection of his son, Abba, to the ruling All Progressives Congress (APC) from the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP).
Atiku said as a democrat, he does not “coerce his children in matters of conscience”, adding that Abba’s decision to join the APC was purely personal.
On Tuesday, Abba announced that he was pitching tent with the APC, in a bid to help re-elect President Bola Tinubu, who was his dad’s opponent in the 2023 election.
He also announced the renaming of his political group, originally established in 2022 as the Atiku Haske Organisation, to the Haske Bola Tinubu Organisation.
“The decision of my son, Abba Abubakar, to join the APC is entirely personal,” Abubakar wrote in an X post.
“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.”
Abubakar, who is now a member of the opposition African Democratic Congress (ADC), a party whose major goal is to prevent Tinubu’s re-election in 2027, said he is fixated on restoring good governance in Nigeria.
“What truly concerns me is the poor governance of the APC and the severe economic and social hardships it has imposed on our people,” he added.
“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.”
In the 2023 contest, Abubakar polled second on the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) platform with 6,984,520 votes, behind Tinubu who was declared winner by the electoral umpire with 8,794,726 votes.
Peter Obi of the Labour Party (LP) ranked third with 6,101,533 votes.
