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Oshiomhole Labels Atiku Abubakar Nigeria’s Most Notable Political Defector, Suggests He Write a Book on Party Switching
Senator Adams Oshiomhole (APC, Edo North) has described former Vice President Atiku Abubakar as the most prominent political defector in Nigeria’s democratic history, stating that his extensive record of party realignments qualifies him to author a book on the subject.
Speaking during an interview on Politics Today, a current affairs programme on Channels Television aired Tuesday, Oshiomhole took aim at Atiku’s frequent party shifts, suggesting that his political trajectory exemplifies defection for personal ambition rather than ideology.
“But let me remind you,” Oshiomhole said, “the person most famously associated with political defection in Nigeria is His Excellency Atiku Abubakar. As a sitting vice president, he defected from the People’s Democratic Party (PDP) to the Action Congress (AC), which later evolved into part of the All Progressives Congress (APC).”
Oshiomhole went on to underscore that Atiku’s initial defection was not at the behest of any sitting government, asking rhetorically, “Was he courted by any state governor at that time? Was he compelled by anyone to make the move to ACN, then led by Bola Ahmed Tinubu, who held no federal office at the time?”
The former APC national chairman defended his party against criticisms of internal instability, stating that Atiku’s repeated defection history illustrates a pattern of political mobility rooted in self-interest rather than principle.
“Was Atiku Abubakar forced to leave the PDP under President Obasanjo and join the ACN to contest the presidency? Did Tinubu or any other person coerce him?” he queried.
Atiku Abubakar, who served as Nigeria’s Vice President from 1999 to 2007, has been a central figure in several major political movements. After beginning his Fourth Republic political journey with the PDP in 1998, he defected to the Action Congress in 2006 amid political tension with then-President Olusegun Obasanjo. He returned to the PDP in 2009, moved to the APC in 2014, and once again defected back to the PDP in 2017.
Oshiomhole continued to challenge the idea that Atiku’s political movements were externally influenced, citing his return to the PDP following a failed presidential bid with the APC. “When he lost the APC ticket, did we, who were not even in power at the time, force him back to PDP to contest against President Jonathan?” he asked.
The senator concluded by suggesting that Atiku’s extensive experience navigating Nigeria’s political parties uniquely qualifies him to author a detailed study on political defection.
“I honestly believe that the best person to write a book on party defection in Nigeria is the former vice president himself. He has firsthand knowledge of what motivates these moves, having done so multiple times, sometimes without the prompting or backing of any political establishment,” Oshiomhole remarked.
His comments come amid ongoing debates about loyalty, party ideology, and the shifting political landscape ahead of future elections.