By Amofokhai Williams
Former Vice President Atiku Abubakar has officially resigned from the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP), a party he co-founded, in a move that has sent shockwaves through Nigeria’s political landscape.
In a letter dated July 14, 2025, addressed to the PDP ward chairman of Jada Ward 1 in Adamawa State, Atiku announced his immediate exit, citing the party’s deviation from its foundational principles as the primary reason for his departure.
The resignation was made public on July 16, 2025, and confirmed by one of his media aides.
Atiku, who served as Nigeria’s Vice President from 1999 to 2007 and was the PDP’s presidential candidate in the 2019 and 2023 elections, expressed gratitude for the opportunities the party provided him.
“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.
“As a founding father of this esteemed party, it is indeed heartbreaking for me to make this decision.”
However, he emphasized that the PDP’s current trajectory no longer aligned with its original values, prompting his decision to part ways.
The former vice president has now joined the African Democratic Congress (ADC), alongside former Labour Party presidential candidate Peter Obi, in a strategic move to form a united opposition front against the ruling All Progressives Congress (APC) ahead of the 2027 general elections.
This coalition, which also includes political heavyweights such as former Senate President David Mark, former PDP chairman Uche Secondus, former Kaduna State Governor Nasir El-Rufai, and former Rivers State Governor Rotimi Amaechi, aims to consolidate opposition votes that were split in the 2023 election.
In that election, President Bola Tinubu secured victory with 37% of the vote, while Atiku garnered 29% and Obi 25%, a division that analysts say cost the opposition the presidency.
The ADC, originally formed in 2005 as the Alliance for Democratic Change before being renamed, has become the new political vehicle for this coalition.
Interim chairman David Mark described the move as an effort to “save the country’s democracy and stop Nigeria from becoming a one-party state.” Political analysts suggest that Atiku is likely to contest the presidency again in 2027, potentially with Obi as his vice-presidential running mate, marking his fifth attempt at Nigeria’s highest office.
The resignation has sparked varied reactions within the PDP and beyond. PDP South-South Chairman Emma Ogidi expressed concern over Atiku’s exit, noting that he mentored many party stakeholders.
Atiku’s history with the PDP has been marked by multiple exits and returns. He previously left the party in 2006 for the Action Congress of Nigeria and in 2014 for the APC, only to return to the PDP in 2017.
His latest move to the ADC is seen as a calculated effort to avoid the internal divisions that plagued the PDP in recent years, particularly after his 2022 primary victory over Nyesom Wike sparked tensions with southern governors who argued for a southern candidate.
