Nigeria, Jan. 16 -- Former Vice President Atiku Abubakar has said he is unperturbed by his son, Abubakar Atiku Abubakar's, decision to join the ruling All Progressives Congress (APC), describing it as a personal choice.

Atiku, a former presidential candidate of the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP), said he does not coerce his children on political matters, stressing that individual freedom of choice is a core principle of democracy.

He stated this in a statement posted on his official social media accounts on Thursday, shortly after the news went viral.

Mr Abubakar, also called Abba, had earlier in the day defected to the APC in Abuja.

"The decision of my son, Abba Abubakar, to join the APC is entirely personal. In a democracy, such cho...