The Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) has downplayed the resignation of former Vice President Atiku Abubakar, urging Nigerians to shift attention from political defections to more urgent issues such as hunger and economic hardship.
Atiku formally quit the PDP on Wednesday, citing irreconcilable differences and the party’s departure from its founding ideals. He also expressed disappointment with its current direction in a letter addressed to the party chairman of his Jada 1 Ward in Adamawa State.
Reacting to the development, a senior member of the PDP’s National Working Committee (NWC), who spoke exclusively to Vanguard in Abuja, described Atiku’s move as unsurprising.
“Atiku’s departure from the PDP is nothing new. Hasn’t he left the party before? Did anything fundamentally change?” the party official said.
He also took aim at the media, accusing it of focusing too much on political realignments instead of the suffering of ordinary Nigerians.
“Meanwhile, people are hungry. Are our lives solely defined by politicians switching parties?”
In his resignation letter, Atiku thanked the PDP for opportunities it provided him—including his time as Vice President and two-time presidential candidate—but said the decision to leave was “heartbreaking,” given how far the party had veered from its original vision.
His exit follows growing speculation that he is working alongside former Labour Party presidential candidate Peter Obi and other opposition figures under the African Democratic Congress (ADC) to form a broad political coalition ahead of the 2027 general elections.
The move signals potential realignment in Nigeria’s political landscape as opposition parties seek to mount a credible challenge to the ruling All Progressives Congress (APC).
Efforts to get an official response from the PDP’s National Publicity Secretary, Hon. Debo Ologunagba, were unsuccessful, as he did not respond to multiple calls.
