As the 2027 general election approaches, former Vice President Atiku Abubakar has lost a major bloc of his northern support base to the All Progressives Congress (APC).
At an event in Abuja on Friday, the APC National Chairman Abdullahi Ganduje and Deputy Senate President Jibrin Barau, received the defectors from the 19 northern states.
Under the Coalition of Atiku Support Groups from the 2023 election, members announced their defection from the People’s Democratic Party to the APC.
Representatives from each of the 19 northern states and the Federal Capital Territory attended the event, pledging to support President Bola Tinubu in 2027.
Explaining their decision, the group cited discussions with Deputy Senate President Barau as a key influence.
The coalition’s coordinator, Abubakar Malami, stated, “Our groups comprise various strata of society—women, youths, students, traders, academics, and farmers—representing diverse religious and ethnic backgrounds.
“In the 2023 general election build-up, we mobilised our members across the nooks and crannies of the 19 northern states and the FCT to campaign for former Vice President Atiku Abubakar. To the glory of God, Atiku and his team acknowledged and appreciated our support. We played a key role in the votes he secured in the last election.
“We supported Atiku in our quest to address the challenges in our region, particularly terrorism and banditry, which crippled economic activities. Farming, the mainstay of our people, became impossible as farmlands turned into kidnappers’ dens.”
Malami added that, “22 months into President Bola Tinubu’s tenure, a fresh air of peace and hope permeates the 19 northern states. The crashing prices of food items cannot be divorced from the relative peace enjoyed in our region.”
He also praised Tinubu for establishing the North West Development Commission, following a bill sponsored by Barau, calling it a “game changer.”
He stated, “In 2027, we will work for the continuation of President Tinubu’s administration. Our sincere appreciation goes to His Excellency, the Deputy Senate President, Senator Barau Jibrin, for his efforts in addressing the challenges in our region. He is the Sardauna Arewa of our time.”
In his remarks, Barau described the defection of Atiku’s northern supporters as a “big catch” for the APC.
He said, “It’s a big catch. We are making a big catch today at our party. Mr. President is a very good man. He’s doing his best to reposition Nigeria into a land of prosperity.
“It is good that you understand this and have come to acknowledge what Mr. President is doing.”
He assured the defectors of equal opportunities within the party, saying,
Speaking on Tinubu’s leadership, Barau added, “He is a man at home in all parts of the country, generous, and his hospitality is unprecedented. He has everything you can think of in a good leader.”
Ganduje, in his address, commended the defectors for their courage, stating, “You are welcome to our party. After fasting, all your members will gather in Abuja under the leadership of Senator Barau, where we will invite Mr. President and the Vice President, alongside the Senate President and Speaker, to formally receive you.”
He declared the PDP’s collapse, saying, “This will register the death, the collapse, the disappearance of the PDP in Nigeria, not just in the North.”
Referring to the Anambra governorship election, Ganduje claimed, “PDP extended its screening deadline because nobody showed up. The extension expired, and still, nobody came forward. The party is crumbling. The party is dying at a fantastic rate.”
The PUNCH
