Atiku's son launches two-million-man march plan for Tinubu's 2027 re-election

Alhaji Abba Abubakar, son of former Vice-President Atiku Abubakar, has thrown his weight behind President Bola Tinubu's re-election in 2027, setting up a direct political contest with his father.

Abba unveiled the plan on Friday at the All Progressives Congress (APC) national secretariat in Abuja, where he presented the Haske Bola Tinubu Organisation (HBTO), a support platform he founded and chairs. He had earlier defected to the ruling party.

The move puts him on the opposite side of his father, who is seeking the presidency on the platform of the African Democratic Congress (ADC) in the election scheduled for January 16, 2027.

Asked about family ties, Abba said political conviction is a matter of personal judgement and conscience. He said he holds no reservations about others' differing opinions and expects his own to be respected.

What the group plans

HBTO intends to hold a two-million-man mobilisation march across Nigeria's six geopolitical zones, beginning in Abuja. Abba said the group's immediate focus is the Federal Capital Territory, where it will work with the FCT Minister, whom he called a key political leader in its structure.

He said the organisation is also aligning with the minister's goal of delivering both the FCT and Rivers State for Tinubu, and is preparing a major mobilisation exercise in Rivers in the first week of November.

Beyond politics, Abba announced a transport support scheme: ten luxury buses to ease commuting for ordinary Nigerians, starting in the FCT before spreading to other parts of the country. He said backing the administration's Renewed Hope Agenda must go beyond speeches and produce results people can feel.

He listed the Nigerian Education Loan Fund, road investments, higher allocations to states through the Federation Account Allocation Committee and transport interventions as reasons for his support.

Abba acknowledged that the government's reforms have brought difficult adjustments for Nigerians, but argued that the long-term benefits justify continued backing.

He said HBTO is building state and zonal structures, engaging community stakeholders and working with other groups to communicate government policies ahead of the vote.

What happens next

The Rivers mobilisation is expected in the first week of November, according to Abba. The march and the bus scheme are to begin in Abuja before expanding nationwide.

The 2027 presidential election is set for January 16, 2027, with Atiku and Tinubu now drawing support from the same household.