FORMER Vice President Atiku Abubakar has formally resigned from the People’s Democratic Party (PDP), citing irreconcilable differences within the party.
In a resignation letter dated July 14 and addressed to the PDP Chairman of Jada 1 Ward in Adamawa State, Atiku said the current direction of the party no longer aligns with its founding principles.
“It is with a heavy heart that I resign, recognizing the irreconcilable differences that have emerged,” Atiku wrote.
“Serving two full terms as Vice President and contesting as a presidential candidate twice under the PDP were major highlights of my political career. However, the party’s recent trajectory compels me to step away.”
Atiku, who served as vice president from 1999 to 2007 under President Olusegun Obasanjo, also ran for president on the PDP platform in 2019 and 2023—losing to Muhammadu Buhari and Bola Tinubu, respectively.
Atiku’s departure is widely linked to ongoing preparations for the 2027 general elections. Alongside other political heavyweights—such as Peter Obi, Rotimi Amaechi, and Nasir El-Rufai—Atiku has formed a coalition aiming to unseat President Tinubu.
On July 2, the coalition adopted the African Democratic Congress (ADC) as its new political platform.
Former Senate President David Mark, who also left the PDP, was named interim national chairman of the ADC, while former Osun State Governor Rauf Aregbesola was appointed interim national secretary.
This marks Atiku’s third exit from the PDP. He first left in 2006 to run for president under the Action Congress of Nigeria (ACN), returning in 2010. He later joined the APC in 2014 but returned to the PDP again in 2017.
Despite consistently pursuing the presidency, Atiku has yet to clinch victory. His latest resignation follows lingering fallout from the PDP’s 2022 primaries and internal rifts that have deepened since then.