Atiku Praised for Political Tolerance Over Son’s Defection to APC

Politician, Chief Eze Chukwuemeka Eze, has commended former Vice President Atiku Abubakar for what he described as uncommon political tolerance and sagacity following his son’s defection to the ruling All Progressives Congress (APC).

Eze hailed Atiku as an “iconic, humane, trailblazer and sagacious politician,” saying the former vice president has distinguished himself among Nigeria’s and Africa’s leading democrats.

InfoStride News reports that Abubakar Atiku Abubakar, son of the former vice president, recently defected from the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) to the APC, a development that has generated widespread reactions across political circles and social media platforms.

While some political analysts have described the defection as ill-timed and unnecessary, Atiku, who is seeking the African Democratic Congress (ADC) presidential ticket, maintained that the move was a personal decision taken by his son.

Reacting in a statement on Tuesday, Eze, an APC chieftain, described the defection as historic and personal, adding that it offers a strong moral and political lesson to President Bola Tinubu and other leaders he accused of undemocratic tendencies.

According to him, Atiku’s handling of the situation has further projected him as a seasoned democrat with unblemished democratic credentials.

Eze said by treating his son’s defection from the PDP to the APC as a purely personal choice, the former vice president has once again raised the bar of democracy and democratic practice in Nigeria.

“By supporting his son’s defection from PDP to APC, Atiku has raised the bar of democracy, thereby proving to the world that he is truly, in words and actions, a refined and principled democrat,” he said.

He added that the move demonstrated Atiku’s political tolerance and sagacity, describing him as a beacon of democracy capable of collaborating with other opposition figures to redefine governance in Nigeria ahead of 2027.

“Does anyone question Atiku’s status as a democrat? Certainly, the answer is no. His democratic credentials continue to soar,” Eze stated, adding that Atiku has now matched the Saraki political dynasty in terms of tolerance and cohesion.

The media practitioner further argued that Atiku’s stance had diminished President Tinubu’s self-acclaimed status as a democrat, accusing the current administration of intimidating opposition politicians through state institutions.

“You are not a democrat when you use state institutions to coerce, intimidate and witch-hunt opposition elements simply because you want to win an election,” he said.

In a veiled reference to the president, Eze maintained that occupying public office does not automatically confer democratic credentials, alleging that the ruling party is attempting to weaken opposition parties ahead of the 2027 general election.

“These undemocratic acts depict Tinubu as a man incapable of tolerating dissenting voices and place Atiku Abubakar in a vantage position over him in the annals of democrats,” he added.