Abba Atiku, son of former Vice President Atiku Abubakar, on Monday formally joined the ruling All Progressives Congress (APC), declaring that no political party can defeat President Bola Tinubu in the 2027 presidential election.
Abba, who first announced his defection on January 15, picked up his APC membership card at Gwadabwa Ward in Yola North Local Government Area of Adamawa State, where he pledged his full support for Tinubu’s re-election bid.
Speaking shortly after his registration, Abba said his decision was driven by what he described as the “best economic and human reformations” under the Tinubu administration.
“I want to make it very clear: nobody or any political party can stop President Bola Tinubu from returning to Aso Rock in 2027,” he said. “Nigerians have seen his good work. He is not a tribalist. He does not make appointments based on religion or region. His decisions are purely on merit.”
He added that Tinubu’s achievements in human capital development and nationwide infrastructure warranted broad national support beyond party lines. “The President needs your support to continue with the good work. We should mobilize more people, irrespective of party affiliations, to support our President,” Abba said.
Presenting the APC membership card, the party’s Zonal Vice Chairman for Adamawa Central, Alhaji Isa Bagalti, hailed the defection as a boost for the ruling party. “With this development, it is now clear that there is no political party or presidential candidate in Nigeria that can face our President in the 2027 election,” he said.
Also speaking, top APC chieftain Alhaji Jamilu Yusuf described other presidential aspirants as “wishful thinkers.” “Most of those claiming they want to contest see politics as a trade fair, where people come to buy and sell,” he said. “The office of President is no longer for the highest bidder, but for competent people like President Tinubu.”
Abba’s defection adds a new layer of political irony in Adamawa, where Atiku Abubakar remains a presidential aspirant under the African Democratic Congress, with none of his sons in the party. Another son, Adamu Atiku, remains a prominent member of the Peoples Democratic Party and currently serves as Commissioner for Works and Energy Development under Governor Ahmadu Fintiri.
At his January 15 announcement at the National Assembly in Abuja, Abba was formally received by the Deputy Senate President, Senator Barau Jibrin, and other APC leaders from the North-East. “I am here today to formally announce my exit from my former party and my decision to join the APC,” he said. He added that he would work closely with Senator Jibrin to secure Tinubu’s second term and directed all coordinators of his association to join the APC in support of the President.
Welcoming him, APC National Vice Chairman (North-East), Mustapha Salihu, described the defection as symbolic and far-reaching. “We are looking beyond old social and political cleavages. This young man has seen the policies and programmes of the Tinubu administration and decided to align with them,” he said.
Reacting to his son’s move, Atiku Abubakar said the decision was purely personal. “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,” he said.
