Former Vice President Atiku Abubakar has declared that the 2027 general election will be a direct contest between the ruling All Progressives Congress (APC) and the Nigerian people, insisting that recent political defections would not automatically translate into electoral victory for the party.
Atiku, now a leading figure in the African Democratic Congress (ADC), made the assertion on Friday in a statement issued by his media office while reacting to the defection of Adamawa State Governor, Ahmadu Umaru Fintiri, from the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) to the APC.
Governor Fintiri had earlier announced his defection in a 14-minute statewide broadcast, stating that the decision was taken in the developmental interest of Adamawa State. He disclosed that he moved to the APC alongside members of his cabinet, PDP officials and supporters across the state’s 226 wards and 21 local government areas.
The governor was subsequently registered as a member of the APC, receiving membership card number 001. His defection followed an earlier political shift in the Adamawa State House of Assembly, where 15 out of the 16 PDP lawmakers, including Speaker Bathiya Wesley, had joined the ruling party earlier in the week.
Reacting to the development, Atiku described political realignments as a normal feature of democratic practice, noting that politicians, including members of his family, were free to take independent political decisions.
However, he argued that the growing wave of defections among opposition figures reflected political pressure rather than public endorsement, accusing the administration of President Bola Ahmed Tinubu of using state institutions to weaken opposition parties in an alleged attempt to entrench a one-party system.
According to him, prevailing socio-economic challenges confronting Nigerians, including rising poverty, insecurity, unemployment and hardship would ultimately shape voter decisions in the next general election.
“Governors may defect for personal survival, but Nigerians are defecting in their millions because they want survival,” Atiku stated.
He urged citizens not to equate political cross-carpeting with popularity and cautioned voters against vote-selling, stressing that ultimate political authority rests with the electorate.
“At the end of the day, power belongs to the people. In 2027, Nigerians will make their voices heard, and their collective will shall prevail,” he said.
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