Former Vice President Atiku Abubakar has resigned his membership of the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP), a political platform he helped to found in 1998, citing a departure from the party’s founding principles.
In a letter dated July 14 and addressed to the chairman of the PDP in his Jada 1 Ward, Jada Local Government Area of Adamawa State, Atiku said his resignation was with immediate effect.
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“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,” he wrote. “It is with a heavy heart that I resign, recognizing the irreconcilable differences that have emerged.”
Atiku, who served as Nigeria’s vice president between 1999 and 2007, expressed gratitude to the PDP for the platform it provided him to serve and twice contest the presidency—in 2019 and 2023.
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He was also a presidential aspirant on the platform of the party in 2007 before decamping to the Action Congress (AC), a forerunner of the All Progressives Congress (APC).
His exit marks another major turning point in his long and eventful political career, which has seen him criss-cross party lines in pursuit of electoral goals.
A perennial presidential contender, Atiku has sought Nigeria’s top job six times since 1993 under different political banners, including the Social Democratic Party (SDP), the PDP, the AC, and the APC.
Although he formally returned to the PDP ahead of the 2019 elections, Atiku had, in recent months, become visibly frustrated with the party’s internal wrangling and its failure to reposition as a credible opposition following the 2023 defeat to the ruling APC.
Party insiders say he had grown disillusioned with the leadership’s handling of post-election reconciliation efforts and zoning disputes.
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In 2024, Mr Abubakar began consultations with several opposition figures across party lines, culminating in his role in spearheading a new opposition coalition — a faction within the ruling party made up of disgruntled members and defectors from other platforms.
Although he never officially joined the African Democratic Congress (ADC), the former vice president was seen as the de facto leader of the coalition, which has pushed for sweeping electoral reforms and internal democracy within parties.
With his latest resignation, Atiku appears to be ready to formalise his alliance with the ADC.
The PDP is yet to issue an official response to Atiku’s departure. However, senior party officials say the development is a blow to ongoing reconciliation efforts and could trigger further defections ahead of the 2027 general elections.
At 78, Mr Abubakar remains one of Nigeria’s most enduring political figures, known for his deep political networks, expansive wealth, and persistent ambition to lead the country.
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