By Peter Omopo
Former Vice President Atiku Abubakar has said the 2027 general election will be a direct contest between the All Progressives Congress and Nigerians, insisting that political defections will not translate into genuine public support for the ruling party.
Atiku, a chieftain of the African Democratic Congress, stated this in a statement issued by his media office on Friday while reacting to the defection of Adamawa State Governor Ahmadu Fintiri to the APC.
Fintiri announced his defection from the Peoples Democratic Party in a 14-minute statewide broadcast, saying the move was taken in the developmental interest of Adamawa State. He declared that he was joining the APC alongside his entire cabinet, PDP officials and supporters across the state’s 226 wards and 21 local government areas. He was subsequently registered as a member of the party.
Ahead of the governor’s announcement, 15 of the 16 PDP members of the Adamawa State House of Assembly, including Speaker Bathiya Wesley, had defected to the APC earlier in the week.
Reacting, Atiku said political realignments were not unusual and that every politician had the right to choose a political path. He added that even members of his family were free to take independent political positions, noting that anyone who chooses to stand with Nigerians rather than the APC is aligning with patriotism.
He described the wave of defections by opposition governors as a product of pressure and intimidation rather than a reflection of strength, accusing the administration of President Bola Tinubu of using state institutions to bully opponents in what he termed an attempt to create a one-party state.
According to him, the government fears accountability, credible elections and the will of the people. He argued that no amount of coercion could erase what he described as the hardship Nigerians are experiencing, including rising hunger, poverty, insecurity and unemployment.
Atiku maintained that while governors might defect for political survival, millions of Nigerians were seeking survival in the face of economic challenges. He cautioned citizens against equating cross-carpeting with popularity and questioned what achievements the APC would campaign on in 2027.
He urged Nigerians not to sell their votes, stressing that political power ultimately resides with the people. He expressed confidence that in 2027, Nigerians would make their voices heard at the polls.
