Defections: No Cause For Alarm  — Atiku

Former Vice President Atiku Abubakar has reacted to the defection of former Delta State Governor Ifeanyi Okowa, his successor Sheriff Oborevwori, and a large section of the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) structure in Delta State to the All Progressives Congress (APC), saying defections and political realignments are normal in a democracy and should not be a cause for alarm or outrage.

In a statement issued on Friday, Atiku stressed that freedom of association is a core democratic right, adding that he holds no grudges against those who have chosen to align politically with other parties.

“Defections, alliances, and realignments are part and parcel of democratic politics. We’ve seen them before, and we’ll see them again,” Atiku said, noting that democracy only thrives when the people, the rule of law, credible elections, and accountability are upheld.

Okowa was Atiku’s running mate in the 2023 presidential election.

Their defection, along with the entire PDP structure in Delta, has sparked renewed debate on the state of opposition politics in Nigeria and the future of Atiku’s political coalition.

In the statement, Atiku also addressed criticisms over his recent visit to former President Muhammadu Buhari, describing the backlash as hypocritical and rooted in political double standards.

“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,” he said, citing past examples where opposition leaders, including himself, engaged with former presidents like Obasanjo and Babangida during political coalition-building efforts.

He criticized what he called “the politics of selective outrage,” questioning why his meeting with Buhari attracted criticism while others who regularly meet with President Bola Tinubu face no such backlash.

“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,” he said.

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Atiku anchored his message on the need to stay focused on what he described as the real issue – what he termed the “abysmal failure” of the Tinubu administration.

“This moment is about collective survival. The real enemy is not one another – it is the Tinubu administration’s abysmal failure,” he said, pointing to rising inflation, economic hardship, and worsening insecurity under the current government.

Atiku warned that Nigeria is at a tipping point, and urged citizens to reject distractions rooted in ethnic, regional, or party loyalties, describing such divisions as tools of manipulation employed by those with “nothing else to offer.”

“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,” Atiku said.