The Atiku Haske Organisation has pushed back strongly against a directive issued by Abba Atiku Abubakar, son of former Vice President Atiku Abubakar, instructing members to defect to the All Progressives Congress, maintaining that he has no legal or moral standing to dictate the group’s political alignment.
The political support platform backing the African Democratic Congress presidential flagbearer also disclosed that Abba has been formally expelled from its ranks, alleging that he made no financial contribution to the group since its formation.
Abba had, after publicly announcing his defection to the APC on Thursday, urged coordinators and members of his political network to follow suit and rally behind President Bola Tinubu’s Renewed Hope Agenda. He further proposed that the group be renamed the Haske Bola Tinubu Organisation.
However, in a statement released in Abuja on Sunday, Mai Nagge Bakari, initiator and convener of the Atiku Haske Organisation, dismissed Abba’s claims of leadership, insisting that he neither founded the group nor possessed the authority to issue binding directives on its behalf.
Bakari explained that Abba was only invited to participate in the organisation and did not play any role in its establishment, funding, or registration. According to him, Abba failed to meet the expectations of the group and acted in breach of its internal regulations.
The organisation reiterated that it had collectively resolved to leave the Peoples Democratic Party and migrate to the African Democratic Congress, stressing that it would not be swayed by individual decisions that contradict its core principles.
Bakari declared Abba’s directive invalid and confirmed his immediate removal from the organisation, describing his actions as a betrayal of the group’s values and decisions.
The group reaffirmed its unwavering support for Atiku Abubakar, insisting that he remains the most suitable candidate to champion its political objectives.
Meanwhile, Abba formalised his defection to the APC at the National Assembly complex in Abuja, where he was received by Deputy Senate President Barau Jibrin and other party leaders from the North-East. He expressed confidence in President Tinubu’s leadership and endorsed his bid for a second term.
He also directed members of his own political structure, the Haske Atiku Organisation, to join the APC, a move that later culminated in the group being renamed the Haske Bola Tinubu Organisation in alignment with Tinubu’s 2027 campaign.
