{"id":125024,"date":"2026-01-16T09:54:49","date_gmt":"2026-01-16T08:54:49","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/pointblanknews.com\/pbn\/?p=125024"},"modified":"2026-01-16T09:54:49","modified_gmt":"2026-01-16T08:54:49","slug":"atiku-distances-self-from-sons-defection-to-apc","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/pointblanknews.com\/pbn\/news\/atiku-distances-self-from-sons-defection-to-apc\/","title":{"rendered":"Atiku Distances Self from Son\u2019s Defection to APC"},"content":{"rendered":"<div style=\"text-align: justify;\">By Lizzy Chirkpi<\/div>\n<div style=\"text-align: justify;\"><\/div>\n<div style=\"text-align: justify;\">Former Vice President Atiku Abubakar has clarified that the decision of his son, Abba Abubakar, to join the All Progressives Congress (APC) was a personal one, stressing that it does not reflect his own political convictions or weaken his opposition to the ruling party\u2019s record in government.<\/div>\n<div style=\"text-align: justify;\"><\/div>\n<div style=\"text-align: justify;\">In a statement issued on Thursday, Atiku emphasized that political choices, even within families, are a normal feature of democratic societies and should not be misinterpreted or sensationalized.<\/div>\n<div style=\"text-align: justify;\"><\/div>\n<div style=\"text-align: justify;\">\u201cThe decision of my son, Abba Abubakar, to join the APC is entirely personal,\u201d Atiku said.<\/div>\n<div style=\"text-align: justify;\">He explained that democracy thrives on freedom of conscience and association, noting that individuals must be allowed to chart their own political paths without coercion or undue pressure, even from close relatives.<\/div>\n<div style=\"text-align: justify;\"><\/div>\n<div style=\"text-align: justify;\">\u201cIn a democracy, such choices are neither unusual nor alarming, even when family and politics intersect,\u201d he added.<\/div>\n<div style=\"text-align: justify;\"><\/div>\n<div style=\"text-align: justify;\">The former vice president, who was the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) presidential candidate in the 2023 elections, made it clear that he does not impose his political beliefs on his children, just as he would not impose them on Nigerians.<\/div>\n<div style=\"text-align: justify;\"><\/div>\n<div style=\"text-align: justify;\">\u201cAs a democrat, I do not coerce my own children in matters of conscience, and I certainly will not coerce Nigerians,\u201d Atiku stated.<\/div>\n<div style=\"text-align: justify;\"><\/div>\n<div style=\"text-align: justify;\">While distancing himself from his son\u2019s political decision, Atiku used the opportunity to strongly criticize the APC-led government, accusing it of failing Nigerians through poor governance and policies that have worsened living conditions across the country.<\/div>\n<div style=\"text-align: justify;\"><\/div>\n<div style=\"text-align: justify;\">According to him, the real issue facing Nigerians is not the political affiliation of individuals, but the state of the economy and the social hardships confronting citizens.<\/div>\n<div style=\"text-align: justify;\"><\/div>\n<div style=\"text-align: justify;\">\u201cWhat truly concerns me is the poor governance of the APC and the severe economic and social hardships it has imposed on our people,\u201d he said.<\/div>\n<div style=\"text-align: justify;\"><\/div>\n<div style=\"text-align: justify;\">Atiku cited rising poverty, economic instability, and declining public welfare as key indicators of what he described as the ruling party\u2019s failure to meet the expectations of Nigerians.<\/div>\n<div style=\"text-align: justify;\"><\/div>\n<div style=\"text-align: justify;\">Despite recent political realignments and defections, the former vice president reaffirmed his commitment to opposition politics and democratic struggle, insisting that he remains focused on the broader goal of national renewal.<\/div>\n<div style=\"text-align: justify;\"><\/div>\n<div style=\"text-align: justify;\">\u201cI remain resolute in working with like-minded patriots to restore good governance and offer Nigerians a credible alternative that brings relief, hope, and progress,\u201d Atiku declared.<\/div>\n<div style=\"text-align: justify;\"><\/div>\n<div style=\"text-align: justify;\"><\/div>\n<div style=\"text-align: justify;\">His statement appears aimed at reassuring supporters and political allies that his vision and political direction remain unchanged, regardless of personal or family developments, as Nigeria continues to grapple with economic and social challenges under the APC-led administration.<\/div>\n<!-- AddThis Advanced Settings generic via filter on the_content --><!-- AddThis Share Buttons generic via filter on the_content --><!-- AddThis Related Posts generic via filter on the_content -->","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"<p>By Lizzy Chirkpi Former Vice President Atiku Abubakar has clarified that the decision of his son, Abba Abubakar, to join the All Progressives Congress (APC) was a personal one, stressing&hellip;<!-- AddThis Advanced Settings generic via filter on wp_trim_excerpt --><!-- AddThis Share Buttons generic via filter on wp_trim_excerpt --><!-- AddThis Related Posts generic via filter on wp_trim_excerpt --><\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":1,"featured_media":125025,"comment_status":"open","ping_status":"open","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"_lmt_disableupdate":"","_lmt_disable":"","footnotes":""},"categories":[5],"tags":[],"class_list":["post-125024","post","type-post","status-publish","format-standard","has-post-thumbnail","hentry","category-news"],"yoast_head":"<!-- This site is optimized with the Yoast SEO plugin v26.8 - https:\/\/yoast.com\/product\/yoast-seo-wordpress\/ -->\n<title>Atiku Distances Self from Son\u2019s Defection to APC - Pointblank News<\/title>\n<meta name=\"robots\" content=\"index, follow, max-snippet:-1, max-image-preview:large, max-video-preview:-1\" \/>\n<link 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