The former Vice President and 2023 presidential candidate of the Peoples Democratic Party, PDP, Alhaji Atiku Abubakar, has reacted to his son’s defection to the All Progressives Congress, APC, , saying ” It’s his personal choice.”

Atiku’s son, Abba Abubakar, defected from the PDP to the ruling APC, and pledged to work for President Bola Tinubu’s re-election in 2027.

Reacting in a statement, Atiku said: “The decision of my son, Abba Abubakar, to join the APC is entirely 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.

“What truly concerns me is the poor governance of the APC and the severe economic and social hardships it has imposed on our people.

“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 a surprising development that has sent shockwaves through Nigeria’s political landscape, Abubakar Atiku Abubakar, popularly known as Abba and son of former Vice President Alhaji Atiku Abubakar, has formally defected from the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) to the ruling All Progressives Congress (APC).

The announcement was made on Thursday, January 15, 2026, at the National Assembly in Abuja, where Abba was warmly received by the Deputy President of the Senate, Senator Barau Jibrin, alongside key APC leaders from the North-East zone, including the party’s National Vice Chairman (North-East), Comrade Mustapha Salihu.

Abba, who founded the political platform Haske Atiku Organisation in 2022 to support his father’s 2023 presidential bid, declared his resignation from the PDP as a personal and historic decision. He cited his conviction in the leadership of Senator Barau Jibrin and the performance of President Bola Ahmed Tinubu’s administration as key factors influencing his move.

“My name is Abubakar Atiku Abubakar, but everyone calls me Abba. 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 stated.

He further pledged full commitment to mobilizing support for President Tinubu’s second-term ambition in 2027, directing all coordinators and members of his former organization to immediately align with the APC and advance the Renewed Hope Agenda.

“With this development, I will work with Senator Barau to actualise the second-term bid of President Bola Ahmed Tinubu. To this effect, I am directing all coordinators of my association to join the APC and work for President Tinubu,” Abba added.

In a symbolic high point of the event, the Haske Atiku Organisation was officially renamed the Haske Bola Tinubu Organisation, signaling a complete realignment ahead of the 2027 general elections.

Welcoming the defector, Senator Barau described the move as bold, wise, and principled, noting that Abba — who had been monitoring developments from the United States — was impressed by the Tinubu administration’s reforms.

“You have taken a decision based on ideology. You did not come here because of your father. You came because you believe in President Bola Ahmed Tinubu, his ideology, and the Renewed Hope Agenda,” Barau remarked.

APC National Vice Chairman (North-East) Comrade Mustapha Salihu hailed the defection as symbolic and reflective of “politics without borders,” assuring Abba of equal opportunities within the party. A presidential aide, Alhaji Mahmoud Abdullahi, welcomed him as a “homecoming,” stating, “Just like Atiku, Tinubu is also your father.

Your decision guarantees a future in this party.

“Abba’s political structure and grassroots network are seen by APC leaders as a significant boost to the party’s consolidation efforts in the North ahead of 2027.

The development comes amid ongoing realignments in Nigerian politics, with the APC positioning itself strongly for continuity and the opposition grappling with internal dynamics.

Lagos State has emerged as a major force in the ongoing nationwide electronic membership registration exercise of the All Progressives Congress (APC), rapidly closing the gap with frontrunner Delta State and positioning itself to take the lead within days.

Party leaders disclosed this development on Tuesday following a high-level national strategic stakeholders’ meeting in Abuja, where performance reports from across the federation were reviewed by the party’s national leadership.

After returning to Lagos, Comrade Prince Ayodele Adewale, APC E-Registration Coordinator and APC Lagos State Organising Secretary, praised party members across the state for their unprecedented grassroots mobilisation and remarkable surge of political energy.

“The reports before us are highly encouraging. The energy on ground is visible and it is clear that the grassroots is awake, active and fully engaged,” Adewale said, noting that real-time data shows Lagos steadily building strong organic membership numbers in the highly competitive exercise.

According to him, Lagos State currently occupies second position on the national registration table, despite commencing its exercise only eight days ago, on Monday, 5 January 2026.

By contrast, Delta State, which currently leads, has been registering members consistently for the past 3 months.“With a little extra push, Lagos is clearly on the move.

This is a competitive race and the gap is closing rapidly,” Adewale stated.

He stressed that the window for consolidation remains open, with six hours left in the day and 18 days remaining in January 2026 before the registration exercise concludes, and urged party members to intensify mobilisation efforts across wards and local government areas.

“This is not the time to relax. Victory is not something we drift into; it is something we work for, deliberately and consistently, until the very end,” he added.

Adewale further revealed that he returned to Lagos on Tuesday, 13 January 2026, alongside the APC Lagos State Chairman, Pastor Cornelius Ojelabi, after participating in a national strategic meeting convened by the APC National Chairman, Prof. Nentawe Goshwe Yilwatda.

The Abuja meeting was chaired by the National Chairman and attended by the National Secretary, Senator Ajibola Basiru, PhD, some members of the National Working Committee (NWC), some APC State Chairmen, State Organising Secretaries, E-Registration Coordinators and other critical stakeholders.

The forum provided an opportunity for the party to review operational challenges, assess nationwide progress, and align strategic action plans aimed at strengthening the APC’s organisational structure ahead of future electoral engagements.

Based on current projections and the pace of mobilisation in Lagos, party leaders expressed confidence that the state is on course to overtake Delta State by Wednesday or, at the latest, Saturday, 17 January 2026.

Observers say the Lagos surge underscores the state’s organisational depth and its historic role as a political mobilising hub for the APC.Concluding his remarks, Adewale urged party faithful to remain calm, disciplined and focused, noting that landmark achievements are built through sacrifice and persistence.

“Great victories are never built in comfort. There is always joy at the end of every struggle,” he said.