Atiku speaks on Okowa, Oborevwori’s defection to APC

Former Vice President Atiku Abubakar has said he holds no grudges against his running mate in the 2023 presidential election, Ifeanyi Okowa, and others, who recently defected from the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) to the ruling All Progressives Congress (APC).

He said every Nigerian has the freedom of association under the constitution, adding that defection is part of politics.

Atiku stated this in a statement he posted on his official X account on Friday, in reaction to the recent mass defection of PDP members in Delta State to the APC.

Mr Okowa, the immediate past governor of Delta State, alongside his successor, Governor Sheriff Oborevwori, commissioners, local government chairpersons and PDP leaders in the state defected to the ruling party on Wednesday.

Delta State is a longtime PDP stronghold. The defection ended PDP’s 26-year control of the oil-rich South-south state.

The pioneer state chairperson of the party, James Manager, announced the defection after a meeting of the governor with PDP leaders and stakeholders at the Government House, Asaba.

Mr Manager, also a former senator, attributed the move to the lingering leadership crisis within the PDP at the national level and its possible implication for the party in the next general elections.

Freedom of association not optional in democracy

Reacting to the development, Atiku said anyone could belong to any association because the freedom of association and expression are non-negotiable in a democracy.

“Let me be unequivocal: freedom of association and expression are not optional in a democracy — they are fundamental rights. Alongside these stand the pillars of a just and functional democratic society: the people, the rule of law, credible elections, and accountability. Undermine any of these, and democracy itself begins to crumble,” he said.

He added, “As someone who holds fast to these values, 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.”

Visit to Buhari

In the statement, Atiku also addressed the criticisms trailing his recent visit to former President Muhammadu Buhari in his Kaduna residence.

While some interpreted the visit as politically motivated and in connection with the 2027 elections, the former vice president defended the move as a strategic and respectful gesture. He said it was a religious visit.

“Some have resorted to insults because I visited former President Muhammadu Buhari. Let’s not rewrite history: Buhari is not only a former leader but a significant statesman in the Nigerian political landscape. During the 2013 opposition merger, the leaders of the time consulted widely — including visits to Obasanjo and Babangida. So why is it now sacrilegious for me and other leaders to visit Buhari in Kaduna? If you truly believe in freedom of association, then you must respect the rights of all political actors to engage, regardless of party lines,” he stated.

Hypocrisy

Atiku lamented hypocrisy in Nigerian political space, saying his across party lines moves have been unfairly targeted.

“When PDP leaders are busy sipping tea and brokering power deals with President Tinubu, it’s called strategic alliance. But the moment I greet Peter Obi, el-Rufai, or visit Buhari, it becomes a national emergency. Hypocrisy and the politics of selective outrage have never been this fashionable!,” he said.

Referendum on Tinubu administration

The former vice president said the 2027 general elections would not be a contest between parties or individuals but as a referendum on President Bola Tinubu’s administration.

“Let us be clear: the coming political battle is not APC versus PDP, or LP versus APC. It is Nigerians versus an administration that has plunged the nation into untold suffering. The economy is in freefall. Inflation is choking the masses. Jobs are vanishing. Youth restiveness is surging to terrifying levels. Nigerians are not just tired — they are angry, and rightfully so.

“This moment is about collective survival. The real enemy is not one another — it is the Tinubu administration’s abysmal failure. We must reject every attempt to distract us with ethnic, regional, or religious sentiments. These are tools of manipulation, designed to divide and conquer, used by those with nothing else to offer,” Atiku said.

The former presidential candidate also criticised the Tinubu administration, stating that it had no significant achievements.

“The Tinubu administration has no achievements to stand on, no credible record to defend. Its only strategy is chaos and division, because that’s the last refuge of the incompetent. And make no mistake— an incompetent captain does not only wreck his ship; he endangers the lives of everyone on board,” he said.

Coalition

Atiku has been talking about the necessity of a coalition to challenge the APC in 2027. Many believed that the proposed coalition involved the former presidential candidate of the Labour Party, Peter Obi, former governor of Kaduna State, Nasir El-Rufai, former Secretary to the Government of the Federation (SGF), Babachir Lawal, and a former governorship aspirant in Ogun State, Segun Sowunmi.

The former vice president has been reaching out to key political figures across party lines and the coalition team has been holding a series of consultations.

Atiku also held talks with Tim Smith, the acting Chief of the US Mission to Nigeria, where political developments and democratic stability were reportedly discussed.

PDP governors’ position

However, there’s a crack within Atiku’s own party, the PDP. The PDP governors have distanced themselves from the coalition, saying such a merger could weaken the party’s unity and electoral strength.

The governors’ opposition to the coalition is being interpreted in some quarters as a direct challenge to Atiku’s political authority within the party and a move to prevent him from flying the party’s flag in 2007.

The former vice president was the PDP candidate in the 2019 and 2023 presidential elections.