Citing a break from the party’s core values, former Vice President Atiku Abubakar has resigned from the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP), a political organization he helped create in 1998. Atiku announced his resignation with immediate effect in a letter dated July 14 that was sent to the PDP chairman in his Jada 1 Ward, Jada Local Government Area, Adamawa State.”The current direction the Party has taken, which I believe deviates from the fundamental principles we stood for, is the reason I feel compelled to part ways,” he wrote. “Given the irreconcilable differences that have arisen, I resign with a heavy heart.” Atiku, who was vice president of Nigeria from 1999 to 2007, thanked the PDP for giving him the opportunity to serve and run for president twice in 2019 and 2023. In 2007, he also campaigned for president on the party’s platform before defecting to the Action Congress (AC), which was the precursor to the All Progressives Congress (APC).
His departure is yet another significant turning point in his lengthy and turbulent political career, during which he has crossed party lines in an attempt to win elections. A consistent candidate for president, Atiku has run for office six times since 1993 under several political parties, including the APC, the PDP, the AC, and the Social Democratic Party (SDP).
In recent months, Atiku has become openly unhappy with the PDP’s internal strife and its inability to reinvent itself as a serious opposition after the 2023 defeat to the ruling APC, despite his official return to the party ahead of the 2019 elections. According to party insiders, he had become disenchanted with how the leadership was managing zoning issues and efforts at reconciliation following the election. Mr. Abubakar started holding cross-party talks with a number of opposition leaders in 2024, which led to his leadership of a new opposition coalition—a group within the ruling party composed of disaffected members and defectors from other parties.
The former vice president was seen as the de facto leader of the alliance, which has campaigned for extensive election reforms and internal democracy among parties, despite never having formally joined the African Democratic Congress (ADC). Atiku seems prepared to formally establish his partnership with the ADC with his most recent resignation.
The PDP has not yet responded to Atiku’s resignation in a formal manner. Senior party officials, however, claim the move is a setback to current efforts at reconciliation and may lead to more defections before the next elections in 2027. Mr. Abubakar, who is 78 years old, is still regarded as one of Nigeria’s most enduring political leaders due to his huge riches, strong political connections, and unwavering desire to govern the nation.
