Atiku Responsible For PDP’s Defeat In 2023 Presidential Election – Former Lawmaker

A former House of Representatives member, Tajudeen Yusuf, has attributed the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) defeat in the 2023 presidential election to former Vice President Atiku Abubakar.

As the turmoil within the PDP escalates, Yusuf expressed that the party may again suffer defeat in the upcoming 2027 general election if it fails to address the lingering challenges.

The party chieftain stressed that the PDP’s loss in the 2023 election stemmed from the overconfidence of its presidential candidate.

Furthermore, he emphasized that the ongoing crisis within the party is driven by a power struggle among certain members who are positioning themselves for the upcoming 2027 general elections.

Naijaonpoint reports that Yusuf stated this while speaking on the violence that interrupted the party’s Board of Trustees meeting in Abuja on January 29, 2025.

He said: “What you have seen ahead of 2027 is that people are struggling for structure, for who controls what, and to become the party’s candidate. They forget the fact that being a candidate alone does not make you president. We lost the last election because I feel our flagbearer was too cocky and so sure he was the next president.”

The ex-lawmaker further said that the PDP is not playing opposition as it should, adding that the crisis rocking the party is orchestrated by overambitious party members.

“The PDP is not playing opposition as it should because the PDP finds itself in the quagmire of over-ambitious men who believe they must always run for elections. A political party should be robust and not be about you running for election,” Yusuf said.

He indicated that the violence that disrupted the BoT meeting was a reflection of the ongoing contest for dominance and authority in anticipation of the upcoming presidential primary.

Yusuf, representing the Kabba/Bunu/Ijumu constituency, acknowledged the inadequacy of the PDP’s internal crisis resolution mechanisms, further asserting that the violence observed during the BoT meeting was indicative of a failure in the party’s leadership.