Former Vice President Atiku Abubakar has breaked silence on his 2023 presidential running mate, Ifeanyi Okowa, and other Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) stalwarts who recently defected to the All Progressives Congress (APC), stating that defection is a normal part of political life. In a statement shared via his official X handle on Friday, Atiku maintained that every Nigerian has the constitutional right to freedom of association and political alignment, emphasizing that democracy cannot exist without these freedoms.
The mass defection that rattled the PDP’s foundation took place in Delta State, a stronghold of the party for 26 years. Okowa, along with Governor Sheriff Oborevwori, commissioners, local government chairpersons, and top party leaders, crossed over to the APC on Wednesday in a shocking political realignment that signaled a major power shift in the oil-rich South-South region. James Manager, the party’s pioneer chairman and a former senator, confirmed the defection after a closed-door meeting at the Government House in Asaba, blaming the move on the PDP’s persistent leadership crisis at the national level.
Reacting to the fallout, Atiku stressed that nobody should be demonized for choosing their political path. He insisted that democracy is founded on the rights of individuals to freely associate, express themselves, and participate in credible elections under the rule of law.
“Let me be unequivocal: freedom of association and expression are not optional in a democracy — they are fundamental rights,” Atiku said. “I bear no grudges against anyone for exercising their right to political alignment. Defections, alliances, and realignments are part and parcel of democratic politics. We’ve seen them before, and we’ll see them again.”
Addressing the controversy around his recent visit to former President Muhammadu Buhari in Kaduna, Atiku dismissed claims that the move was politically driven or linked to the 2027 general elections. He explained that it was a respectful religious visit, pointing out the double standard in how political actions are perceived in Nigeria.
Read Also: Why Delta PDP decided to join APC – Commissioner
“Some have resorted to insults because I visited former President Muhammadu Buhari. But during the 2013 opposition merger, consultations with Obasanjo and Babangida were normal. So why is it now sacrilegious to visit Buhari? If you truly believe in democracy, then you must respect the rights of all political actors to engage across party lines,” he stated.
Atiku took a direct swipe at what he called “hypocrisy and selective outrage” in Nigeria’s political space, criticizing those who attack his political engagements while ignoring backdoor meetings between PDP leaders and President Bola Tinubu.
“When PDP leaders are busy sipping tea and brokering power deals with Tinubu, it’s called strategic alliance. But the moment I greet Peter Obi, el-Rufai, or visit Buhari, it becomes a national emergency,” he said. “Hypocrisy and the politics of selective outrage have never been this fashionable.”
As the 2027 elections approach, Atiku framed the upcoming polls not as a battle between political parties, but as a referendum on the performance of the Tinubu administration. He painted a grim picture of Nigeria under the current government, citing economic collapse, skyrocketing inflation, and surging youth unrest as evidence of failed leadership.
“This is not APC vs PDP or LP vs APC. This is Nigerians versus an administration that has plunged the nation into untold suffering,” Atiku warned. “The Tinubu administration has no achievements to stand on, no credible record to defend. Its only strategy is chaos and division — the last refuge of the incompetent.”
He urged Nigerians to look beyond party, region, or religion and unite in rejecting what he called the “abysmal failure” of the current administration.
“Make no mistake — an incompetent captain does not only wreck his ship; he endangers the lives of everyone on board,” he concluded.
