Atiku Officially Bows Out of PDP, Says Party Has Lost Its Way

Former Vice President of Nigeria and founding member of the People's Democratic Party (PDP), Atiku Abubakar, has officially resigned from the party, citing deep concerns over its current direction.

In a letter posted on the X-platform by Atiku’s Media Adviser, addressed to the Chairman of the PDP in Jada 1 Ward, Jada Local Government Area of Adamawa State, the ex-vice president announced his immediate withdrawal from the party, ending a decades-long relationship that began with the PDP’s formation in the late 1990s.

“I am writing to formally resign my membership from the People's Democratic Party (PDP) with immediate effect,” he stated.

Atiku, who served two terms as Vice President from 1999 to 2007 and contested for the presidency twice under the PDP banner, described the decision as “heartbreaking,” but said it had become necessary due to what he views as a deviation from the party’s original values.

“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,” he wrote. “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.”

He concluded the letter by thanking the PDP for the opportunities it had afforded him and wished the party well.

But in the past few weeks, the ex-VP has been involved in a coalition with the African Democratic Congress (ADC), with some other political bigwigs - the likes of Peter Obi, former Senate President David Mark, ex-ministers Naisr El-Rufai and Rotimi Amaechi, even former Tinubu’s ally, Rauf Aregbesola to join forces towards the 2027 elections in a bid to unseat the incumbent president.