Abba Abubakar, son of former Vice President and 2023 Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) presidential candidate, Atiku Abubakar, has officially defected from the PDP to the ruling All Progressives Congress (APC) and pledged to support President Bola Ahmed Tinubu’s re-election bid in 2027.
The defection was announced on Thursday at the National Assembly Complex, Abuja, where Abba was formally received by the Deputy President of the Senate, Senator Barau Jibrin, alongside other senior APC leaders from the North-East.
Speaking at the event, Abba—popularly known as “Abba”—announced his resignation from the PDP, describing his move to the APC as a historic and personal decision driven by conviction rather than family influence.
He also directed members and coordinators of his political group, the Haske Atiku Organisation, which he founded in 2022, to immediately join the APC and mobilise support for President Tinubu’s Renewed Hope Agenda.
“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 said.
“Following the outstanding leadership style and quality of the Deputy President of the Senate, Senator Barau I. Jibrin, I have decided to align with the APC. With this development, I will work with him to actualise President Bola Ahmed Tinubu’s second-term bid in 2027.”
Welcoming him into the party, the APC National Vice Chairman (North-East), Mustapha Salihu, described the defection as symbolic and far-reaching, noting that it signified a new phase of inclusive politics.
“This is one of my happiest days. We are moving beyond old political divisions. This young man has examined the policies of the Tinubu administration and decided to align with them,” Salihu said.
He assured Abba of equal rights and full participation within the APC, stressing that the party is guided by ideology and policy direction rather than personal ambition.
In his remarks, Senator Barau Jibrin congratulated Abba on what he described as a bold and principled decision, noting that his defection was based on belief in President Tinubu’s leadership.
“You didn’t 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.
The Deputy Senate President disclosed that Abba, who had been following Nigerian politics from the United States, was impressed by the reforms and outreach of the Tinubu administration, prompting his return to Nigeria and decision to join the APC.
A presidential aide, Alhaji Mahmoud Abdullahi, also assured Abba of President Tinubu’s acceptance and support within the party, describing his decision as a return home.
On behalf of the defecting group, the Kano State coordinator, Hon. Mubarak Musa, said the move was strategic and pledged total commitment to delivering electoral victory for the APC in 2027.
The event’s highlight was the formal renaming of Abba’s political structure from the Haske Atiku Organisation to the Haske Bola Tinubu Organisation, marking a complete political realignment and public endorsement of President Tinubu’s second-term ambition.
