Former Vice President Atiku Abubakar has broken his silence regarding his son's high-profile defection to the ruling All Progressives Congress (APC), stating that the move is a personal choice and reflects his democratic principles.
The development follows the announcement by Abba Atiku Abubakar on Wednesday that he was joining the APC to support the re-election of President Bola Tinubu—the same candidate his father contested against in the 2023 presidential election.
In a statement, the elder Abubakar, a key opposition figure and presidential candidate of the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) in the last election, emphasized his respect for individual political freedom.
"As a democrat, I do not coerce my children on matters of conscience," Atiku said, addressing the move. He clarified that his son’s decision to align with the APC was "entirely personal" and that there was "nothing alarming about it."
Abba Atiku had also revealed that he was rebranding his political support group, originally named the Atiku Haske Organisation (founded in 2022), to the Haske Bola Tinubu Organisation to reflect his new political allegiance.
The defection has generated significant political commentary, given the direct father-son divide between the major opposition and the ruling party. Atiku’s measured response aims to downplay any suggestion of a family rift or a broader political realignment, framing it instead as an exercise of personal democratic choice.
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