The frosty relationship between Atiku Abubakar, Nigeria’s former vice president and the main opposition, the People’s Democratic Party (PDP), once again came to a head last week with the announcement of his exit from the party.
Atiku’s decision did not come as a surprise to so many Nigerians considering that in recent weeks, there have been reports that the former vice president was considering dumping the PDP.
In his resignation letter dated July 14, 2025, and addressed to the chairman of the PDP, Jada 1 Ward, Jada Local Government Area (LGA) of Adamawa State, Atiku stated that his resignation was due to irreconcilable differences that had emerged within the former ruling party.
He stressed that he found it necessary to part ways due to the current trajectory the party has taken, which, according to him, diverges from the foundational principles it stood for.
“I am writing to formally resign my membership from the People’s Democratic Party (PDP) with immediate effect.
“I would like to take this opportunity to express my profound gratitude for the opportunities I have been given by the party.
“Serving two full terms as Vice President of Nigeria and being a Presidential candidate twice has been one of the most significant chapters of my life. As a founding father of this esteemed Party, it is indeed heartbreaking for me to make this decision.
“However, I find it necessary to part ways due to the current trajectory the Party has taken, which I believe diverges from the foundational principles we stood for. It is with a heavy heart that I resign, recognizing the irreconcilable differences that have emerged.
“I wish the party and its leadership all the best in the future. Thank you once again for the opportunities and support,” Atiku had stated.
He was elected as the Vice President on the platform of the PDP, serving under ex-President Olusegun Obasanjo from 1999 to 2007.
He has also been the PDP’s presidential candidate on two occasions, flying the party’s flag in the 2019 and 2023 elections. Atiku, however, did not succeed in the two outings for the party, losing to Muhammadu Buhari in 2019 and the incumbent President Bola Tinubu in 2023.
Coalition for 2027
Atiku’s resignation from the ruling party may not be unconnected with the preparations for the 2027 general election.
He and other top opposition figures, including the 2023 Labour Party presidential candidate, Peter Obi; former Transport Minister; Rotimi Amaechi, and former Kaduna State governor; Nasir El-Rufai, have formed a coalition aimed at unseating President Tinubu.
On July 2, the coalition came together to adopt the African Democratic Congress (ADC) as the platform to wrest power from the ruling All Progressives Congress (APC) in the 2027 general election.
The ADC appointed a former Senate President, David Mark, who has also resigned his membership of the PDP, as its interim national chairman, with a former governor of Osun State, Rauf Aregbesola, appointed as the interim national secretary.
Atiku on familiar path
This is not the first time Atiku has dumped the PDP to pursue his presidential ambition in other political parties.
He first left the party just after serving out his term as the vice president to contest for the Presidency in 2007 on the platform of the Action Congress of Nigeria (ACN), after the then ruling party favoured the late former President Umar Musa Yar’Adua for its ticket.
Atiku lost out in the election, coming third behind Muhammadu Buhari and the eventual winner, Yar’Adua.
He would, however, make a return to the PDP to contest for its presidential ticket ahead of the 2011 presidential election and lost to Goodluck Jonathan, who went ahead to win the general election.
Again, Atiku left the PDP with other top members of the party, including Bukola Saraki, Rotimi Amaechi, to join the coalition that formed the All Progressives Congress (APC).
He lost the APC presidential ticket to Muhammadu Buhari and went ahead to support him to defeat the incumbent president Jonathan.
The former VP continued his pursuit of the most coveted seat in the country, leading him to yet again return to the PDP in 2017, winning the party’s presidential ticket again, only to lose to the then incumbent, President Buhari, in the 2019 election.
He flew the PDP flag again in the 2023 election, where he came second after Tinubu. The fallout with the FCT Minister, Nyesom Wike, from the PDP primary in 2022 caused a major crisis in the opposition party, leading to Atiku to now resign from the party for the third time.
His Presidential attempts at a glance
Atiku ran unsuccessfully for president six times, in 1993, 2007, 2011, 2015, 2019 and 2023.
A serial Presidential hopeful, Atiku ran in the Social Democratic Party presidential primaries in 1993, but lost to Moshood Abiola and Baba Gana Kingibe. He was a presidential candidate of the Action Congress in the 2007 presidential election coming in third to Umaru Yar’Adua of the PDP and Muhammadu Buhari of the ANPP. He contested the presidential primaries of the People’s Democratic Party during the 2011 presidential election losing out to incumbent President Goodluck Jonathan. In 2014, he joined the All Progressives Congress ahead of the 2015 presidential election and contested the presidential primaries losing to Muhammadu Buhari. In 2017, he returned to the People’s Democratic Party and was the party presidential candidate during the 2019 presidential election, again losing to incumbent President Muhammadu Buhari.[8][9][10]
In May 2022, he was chosen as the People’s Democratic Party presidential candidate again, this time for the 2023 general election after he defeated Nyesom Wike, the former Governor of Rivers State, in the primaries. He came in second in the general election, being defeated by Bola Tinubu.
PDP would be stronger despite Atiku, others exit – Adeoye
Laja Adeoye, a Lagos State PDP chieftain, has said that the party cannot die with the exit of Atiku Abubakar; rather, it will be stronger ahead of the 2027 general election.
Adeoye, a House of Representatives hopeful in Oshodi-Isolo Federal Constituency, said this in an interview in Lagos.
Adeoye said that Atiku’s exit would bring peace and tranquility to the party.
According to him, the untamed presidential ambition of the former vice president had unsettled the party.
“PDP cannot die because one man left the party. As you know, this is not the first time Atiku is exiting the PDP, the party stands, regardless.
“PDP is rebuilding and will be stronger ahead of the 2027 election.
“One thing that is certain is that a lot of people who have joined ADC will return to the PDP sooner or later as PDP gets more formidable.
“Many of them, including Atiku, will see that there is no road in the so-called ADC they are running to,” Adeoye said.
PDP will outlast defectors – Bode George
Bode George, a member of the Board of Trustees of the PDP, has described former Vice President Atiku and others who defected to the ADC as exhibiting what he termed as “existential imbecility.”
He, however, said that the PDP, having weathered serious storms in the past, would remain strong and outlast all defectors.
He also said that despite the exit of the stalwarts, the party remained an iroko tree and will weather the storm.
He noted that although an Iroko tree could lose branches, it remained solid after a storm, adding that an individual did not make a party.
According to him, “This party is an Iroko tree. When you get into the forest, when an Iroko tree stands in the middle of that forest, no matter the storm that goes, it stands.
“Some of the lighter trees would have been uprooted and gone.
“The Iroko tree can lose one or two branches, but at the end of the storm, it remains solid and sturdy.
“I have been at this party right from the beginning. I have been chairman of the national convention and Director General of the presidential campaign.
“I have traversed the length and breadth of this country. I have snaked around this country campaigning. I know there is hardly any village where you will not hear PDP.
“So if you’re talking about an individual, an individual does not make a party.”
The former national deputy chairman of the PDP also said that the party was not the private fiefdom of any individual, adding that it was guided by laws.
