Acting National Chairman of the People’s Democratic Party (PDP), Amb. Iliya Damagum has described the resignation of former Vice President Atiku Abubakar from the party as a familiar and recurring development in PDP’s political history.
Speaking with newsmen on Friday in Bauchi, Damagum said: “This is not the first time; we’re expecting him back.”
According to him, PDP is neither shocked nor overly concerned about Atiku’s exit, adding that the party was already accustomed to his repeated exits and returns over the years.
The acting national chairman stated that the former vice-president’s movement aligned with a historical pattern, implying that the party viewed his latest resignation as part of his political strategy rather than a final break from PDP.
Damagum further hinted that the party’s calm response stemmed from the confidence it had in its own resilience or skepticism over the permanence of Atiku’s decision.
This, he said, was sequel to reports that he was forming a new political platform, Alliance for Democratic Congress, in preparation for future elections.
Atiku’s exit: PDP can’t die, party will be stronger before 2027 – Chieftain
Similarly, Prince Laja Adeoye, a Lagos State PDP Chieftain, has said the party cannot die with the exit of former Vice President Atiku Abubakar, rather it will be stronger ahead of 2027 general elections.
Adeoye, a House of Representatives hopeful in Oshodi-Isolo Federal Constituency, said this in an interview with the News Agency of Nigeria (NAN) on Friday in Lagos.
Abubakar, the PDP presidential candidate in 2019 and 2023, announced his resignation from the party on Wednesday, citing what he called intractable issues within his former ruling party.
Though the former vice-president has not formally announced his defection to African Democratic Congress (ADC), the coalition of opposition leaders, led by him, had recently announced the adoption of the party as its platform for the 2027 general elections.
Reacting, Adeoye said that Abubakar’s exit would bring peace and tranquility to the party. According to him, the untamed presidential ambition of the former vice president had unsettled the party.
“PDP cannot die because one man left the party, as you know, this is not the first time Atiku is exiting the PDP, the party stands, regardless.
“PDP is rebuilding and will be stronger ahead of the 2027 election. One thing that is certain is that, a lot of people who have joined ADC will return to the PDP sooner or later as PDP gets more formidable.
“Many of them, including Atiku, will see that there is no road in the so-called ADC they are running to,” Adeoye said.
The chieftain, who noted that he was not against the coalition of political parties, said, “but it can only work when PDP, the largest party in Africa leads it, anything short of that is a waste of time.”
Prominent names such as Peter Obi, Rauf Aregbesola, Nasir El-Rufai, ,Rotimi Amaechi, among others, are in the coalition already.