The Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) has remained silent following the confirmed resignation of its 2023 presidential candidate and former Vice President, Atiku Abubakar.
In a letter dated July 14, 2025, and addressed to the PDP Chairman in Jada Ward, Jada Local Government Area of Adamawa State, Atiku cited “irreconcilable differences” as his reason for quitting the party. His exit marks the third time he is leaving the PDP since its formation.
“I am writing to formally resign my membership from the People’s Democratic Party (PDP) with immediate effect,” the letter read. “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.”
He thanked the PDP for the opportunities it offered him, including his tenure as Nigeria’s Vice President from 1999 to 2007 and his presidential candidacies in 2019 and 2023.
Atiku’s media adviser, Paul Ibe, confirmed the authenticity of the letter but declined to comment further. Attempts to get a reaction from PDP national officers yielded no result, as none were willing to speak on the matter as of press time.
A Familiar Pattern
Atiku’s resignation is the latest in a series of political shifts that have defined his career. He first left the PDP in 2006 following a rift with then-President Olusegun Obasanjo. He joined the Action Congress (AC) and contested the 2007 presidential election, losing to the PDP’s Umaru Musa Yar’Adua.
He returned to the PDP in 2011 but lost the party’s presidential ticket to then-President Goodluck Jonathan. In 2014, he left again to become a founding member of the All Progressives Congress (APC), where he contested the 2015 presidential primary and lost to Muhammadu Buhari.
In 2017, Atiku rejoined the PDP and went on to become its flagbearer in the 2019 and 2023 general elections. He lost both bids to the APC’s Buhari and Bola Tinubu, respectively.
Atiku’s latest exit from the PDP raises fresh questions about his political future, especially as Nigeria heads into another election cycle. Political watchers are already speculating on whether he might align with yet another party in pursuit of his long-running presidential ambition.
