Chuks Okocha in Abuja
Former Vice President of Nigeria and chieftain of the African Democratic Congress (ADC), Atiku Abubakar, has described the wave of defections by governors from the opposition parties to the All Progressives Congress (APC) as evidence of pressure and intimidation and not a sign of strength of the ruling party.
Reacting to the defection of Adamawa State Governor, Ahmadu Fintiri from the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) to the APC, Atiku said political realignments were not new.
Fintiri defected from the PDP on Friday, in a political move that altered the balance of power in the North-east state and carried implications for Atiku.
“I have taken this decision after wide consultations and in the best interest of the development of our dear state,” the governor said, adding that members of his cabinet and other PDP officials in the state were joining him in the APC.
The defection followed the resignation earlier on Wednesday of the Speaker of the Adamawa State House of Assembly, Bathiya Wesley, and 15 lawmakers from the PDP.
The lawmakers cited the lingering crisis at the party’s national level as the reason for their exit.
Atiku was the PDP presidential candidate in the 2019 and 2023 elections and hails from Adamawa State, which has been his political base where he has maintained considerable influence over the years.
He won Adamawa’s inaugural Fourth Republic governorship election in 1998 before accepting nomination as Olusegun Obasanjo’s running mate in that year’s presidential election. .
Fintiri’s defection effectively seems to transfer the state’s executive structure to the APC, including commissioners and party officials who followed him.
After Governor Fintiri’s defection, the Presidency had reacted to the development through the Special Adviser to the President on Information and Strategy, Bayo Onanuga, who mocked Atiku, suggesting that the governor’s action has weakened his political base ahead of the 2027 general election.
In a statement, Onanuga described the governor’s move as further proof of the growing acceptance of the APC across the country, including in states previously considered opposition strongholds.
But in his reaction, Atiku declared that every politician was free to choose a path, adding that he respected that right.
The former vice president added that even his children were free to take independent political positions.
He added however, that anyone — including his son — who chose to stand with Nigerians rather than the APC was standing on the side of patriotism.
He declared that the 2027 election would be a straight contest between President Bola Tinubu and the APC on one side, and the Nigerian people on the other.
Atiku accused Tinubu’s administration of weaponizing state institutions to bully political opponents in a desperate bid to turn Nigeria into a one-party state.
“This government fears accountability. It fears credible elections. It fears the people,” he said.
According to him, no amount of coercion can erase the daily hardship Nigerians face — rising hunger, crushing poverty, worsening insecurity, and mass unemployment caused by failed economic policies.
“Governors may defect for personal survival. Nigerians are defecting in their millions because they want survival.” Atiku urged citizens not to confuse political cross-carpeting with popularity.
“What will the APC campaign on in 2027 — hunger? Hardship? Hopelessness?” he queried.
He reminded Nigerians that power ultimately belongs to them and warned against vote-selling.
“Do not trade your future. Do not mortgage your children’s tomorrow. In 2027, the people will have their say — and their will shall prevail,” Atiku added.
