The Atiku Haske Organisation has rejected a directive issued by Abba Atiku Abubakar, son of former Vice President Atiku Abubakar, asking members of the group to defect to the All Progressives Congress (APC), insisting that he lacks the authority to determine its political direction.

The support group, which backs the African Democratic Congress (ADC) presidential hopeful, also announced Abba’s expulsion, alleging that he never contributed financially to its activities.

Abba had, on Thursday, announced his defection to the APC and directed coordinators and members of his political structure to join the ruling party and mobilise support for President Bola Tinubu’s Renewed Hope Agenda. He also called for the renaming of the group to the Haske Bola Tinubu Organisation.

However, reacting in a statement issued on Sunday in Abuja, the initiator and convener of the Atiku Haske Organisation, Mai Nagge Bakari, said Abba was neither the founder of the group nor authorised to issue directives on its behalf.

According to Bakari, Abba was only invited to join the organisation and had neither contributed financially to its operations nor held its registration documents.

“We founded the Atiku Haske Organisation and merely invited Abba to join the group. He has neither contributed a naira to the activities of the organisation nor possesses its certificate of registration,” Bakari said.

He added that the group was under no obligation to comply with Abba’s directive, describing his actions as a violation of its rules and resolutions.

“He is subject to our regulations and has fallen short of our expectations. He has accordingly been dismissed as a member,” Bakari stated.

The organisation stressed that it had collectively resolved to move from the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) to the ADC and had no intention of defecting to any other political party. It described Abba’s actions as contrary to its values and principles.

Bakari therefore declared Abba’s directive null and void and announced his immediate expulsion from the group.

“The Atiku Haske Organisation is not interested in defecting to any political party other than the ADC. What Abba has done is against our resolutions, values and principles, and he is hereby expelled,” the statement read.

The group reaffirmed its support for Atiku Abubakar, describing him as the best candidate to advance its objectives, and challenged Abba to form his own political group if he so desired.

Abba announced his defection to the APC on Thursday at the National Assembly complex in Abuja, where he was received by the Deputy President of the Senate, Senator Barau Jibrin, alongside other APC leaders from the North-East.

He pledged support for President Tinubu’s second-term bid and directed members of his political structure, the Haske Atiku Organisation, founded in 2022, to join the APC. Following the defection, the group was reportedly renamed the Haske Bola Tinubu Organisation, signalling its alignment with President Tinubu’s 2027 re-election campaign.