The All Progressives Congress praised former Vice President Atiku Abubakar for what it called a calm, detached attitude, dismissing rumors that Abba Atiku’s departure could cause instability in the ruling party.
According to The PUNCH, the APC further maintained that the ruling party is still too disciplined and structured to be compromised.
In an exclusive conversation with our correspondent, Nze Chidi Duru, the party’s Deputy National Organising Secretary, expressed the stance in response to the political controversy and mistrust that surrounded the younger Atiku’s switch from the Peoples Democratic Party to the APC.
Duru stated that the APC respected Atiku’s public position on the issue, pointing out that the former vice president had refrained from imposing his opinions and had explicitly distanced himself from his son’s political choice—a move he claimed reflected democratic norms.
“It’s really hard to talk about father-son relationships,” he remarked. Family matters remain within the family. In this regard, I think His Excellency Atiku Abubakar has once again released a statement.
He doesn’t force himself on Nigerians, his kids, or his family.
“We ought to hold him to that and honor his opinions regarding the fact that one of his own kids chose to join the APC rather than the ADC.
“We commend him, as always, for his mature response to what many may consider to be adversarial to his interests, and we hope that Nigerians will respect his views regarding this defection as well as those of his son, who has chosen to join the APC rather than the ADC.”
In response to rumors that Abba Atiku would be joining the ruling party as a mole, Duru denied such concerns, stating that the APC’s organizational structure and internal discipline were robust enough to resist any individual influence.
All viewpoints and groups of people who would have witnessed the immense power that the APC embodies are welcome. The organization and discipline for which the APC is renowned cannot be disrupted by a single man or individual.
APC is a political party with a number of pillars supporting it. One of these pillars centers on discipline, the other on hierarchy, and—above all—on offering party leadership and serving as a means of bringing about a Nigeria in which we can all take pride,” he said.
Duru’s comments came after the Peoples Democratic Party’s 2023 presidential candidate publicly distanced himself from his son’s departure, characterizing it as a personal choice.
On Thursday, hours after Abba officially defected from the PDP to the APC and promised to work for President Bola Tinubu’s reelection in 2027, Atiku finally spoke out using his verified X (previously Twitter) account.
“My son Abba Abubakar’s decision to join the APC is entirely personal,” he stated. Even when family and politics collide, such decisions are neither out of the ordinary nor concerning in a democracy.
“I will not coerce Nigerians, and as a democrat, I do not coerce my own children in matters of conscience.”
However, the former vice president reaffirmed his criticism of the federal administration led by the APC, attributing the development to what he called governance shortcomings.
“The APC’s bad leadership and the extreme economic and social hardships it has caused our people are what really worry me.”
“To restore good governance and provide Nigerians with a credible alternative that brings relief, hope, and progress, I remain resolute in working with like-minded patriots,” he continued.
The Deputy President of the Senate, Senator Barau Jibrin, and other APC leaders from the Northeast welcomed Abba when he announced his defection on Thursday at the National Assembly complex in Abuja.
Citing Senator Barau’s leadership style and the Tinubu administration’s policies, he promised to back President Bola Tinubu’s bid for a second term.
In order to support the President’s Renewed Hope Agenda, he also instructed members of his political organization, the Haske Atiku Organization, which was established in 2022, to join the APC.
The group declared after the defection that it had changed its name to the Haske Bola Tinubu Organization, indicating complete support for President Tinubu’s 2027 reelection campaign.
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