Atiku’s son: ‘My support for Tinubu is personal’; pledges 10 buses

By Omeiza Ajayi, ABUJA

The son of former Vice President Atiku Abubakar, Abba, has said his decision to back President Bola Tinubu’s re-election is a personal choice made in conscience, which he acknowledged may be viewed against the political positions of people he shares family relationships with.

Atiku’s son: ‘My support for TinubuAtiku’s son: ‘My support for TinubuAtiku’s son: ‘My support for TinubuAtiku’s son: ‘My support for TinubuAtiku’s son: ‘My support for TinubuAtiku’s son: ‘My support for TinubuAbubakar, Founder and Chairman of the Haske Bola Tinubu Organisation, HBTO, made the declaration at the group’s press conference in Abuja.

He said political decisions that differ from the positions of relatives “often attract considerable public attention” and that he was “equally conscious that my own political decision may be viewed within this context.”

“However, I wish to make one fundamental point: political conviction is a matter of personal judgement, conscience and the freedom of every individual to make independent choices,” he said.

He described the formation of HBTO as “a deliberate political choice, one I have made in my personal capacity and with a firm belief in the direction we have chosen to pursue.

“I hold no reservations about the right of others to their differing political opinions, just as I expect my own convictions to be respected,” he added.

Abba Abubakar said HBTO is a political mobilisation and support platform established to bring together Nigerians who share a common conviction in the leadership and reform agenda of the president and the All Progressives Congress, APC-led administration.

On Tinubu’s reforms

He admitted that the president’s reforms “have come with difficult adjustments for Nigerians,” but said it was “equally important to recognise the progress, opportunities and long-term benefits that several of these initiatives are designed to deliver.”

Citing examples, Abba pointed to the Nigerian Education Loan Fund, NELFUND, which he said “has opened new opportunities for students to access interest-free educational loans, helping to ease the financial burden on families and improve access to higher education.”

He also credited the administration’s investments in roads and other transport networks for “improving connectivity, facilitating the movement of goods and services, and strengthening economic activities across the country.”

On state finances, Abba Abubakar noted the increased revenue allocations to state governments through the Federation Account Allocation Committee FAAC, which he said have given states “greater fiscal capacity to meet their obligations, including the payment of salaries, pensions and other outstanding commitments.”

He added that public sector workers have benefited from “interventions aimed at cushioning the effects of prevailing economic realities, including the recent N70,000 transportation support.”

The HBTO chairman announced that the group would begin a transportation support programme with “the initial provision of 10 luxury buses,” starting in the Federal Capital Territory, FCT, Abuja, before expanding to other parts of the country.

“For us, supporting the President’s Renewed Hope Agenda must translate into meaningful actions that positively affect the everyday lives of Nigerians,” he said.

Abubakar also disclosed plans for what he called a “two-million-man mobilisation march across Nigeria’s six geopolitical zones,” to begin in Abuja.

‘We are working with Wike’

He said the group’s immediate focus would be “supporting the FCT Minister, whom we recognise as a key political leader in our mobilisation structure, in the collective effort to secure victory for President Bola Ahmed Tinubu in the Federal Capital Territory in 2027.”

According to him, HBTO is working in alignment with the FCT Minister’s objective of delivering both the FCT and Rivers State for the president in the forthcoming election.

“Our organisation is preparing for a major political mobilisation exercise in Rivers State next week,” he said. “I can assure you that our structures are being activated, our members are on ground, and our supporters are ready to demonstrate the strength and reach of this movement.”

He said the effort was not about “numbers or political appearances,” but about “building a disciplined, coordinated and effective grassroots mobilisation network capable of translating political support into electoral results.”

Abba Abubakar said HBTO would establish a presence across the geopolitical zones and work with “political stakeholders, community leaders, youth organisations, women groups and other well-meaning Nigerians.”

“We are confident in our direction, committed to our objectives and determined to contribute our quota to the success of the President’s reform agenda and his re-election bid in 2027,” he said.