By Nkechi Eze
In a development that is set to reshape Nigeria’s political landscape ahead of the 2027 general elections, former Vice President Atiku Abubakar, GCON, has formally resigned his membership of the People’s Democratic Party (PDP), bringing to an end his long-standing association with the party he helped to establish.
Atiku announced his resignation in a letter dated July 14, 2025, addressed to the Chairman of the PDP in Jada 1 Ward, Jada Local Government Area of Adamawa State. In the letter, the former Vice President stated that his decision to leave the PDP was made with immediate effect.
“I am writing to formally resign my membership from the People’s Democratic Party (PDP) with immediate effect,” he wrote, describing the move as painful but necessary. “As a founding father of this esteemed party, it is indeed heartbreaking for me to make this decision.”
Atiku, who served as Nigeria’s Vice President from 1999 to 2007 under the PDP platform and was the party’s presidential candidate in the 2019 and 2023 general elections, acknowledged the role the party had played in his political journey. He expressed appreciation for the opportunities it afforded him to serve the nation, noting that his years with the PDP formed “one of the most significant chapters” of his public life.
However, he expressed deep concerns over what he described as the current trajectory of the PDP, lamenting that the party had strayed far from the ideals and principles upon which it was founded.
“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 wrote. He added that “irreconcilable differences” with the party’s direction and leadership had made his continued membership untenable.
The letter concluded with a conciliatory tone, as Atiku extended best wishes to the party and its leadership in their future endeavors.
While the former Vice President did not disclose his next political move, his exit from the PDP is expected to trigger far-reaching political realignments across the country, particularly as preparations gather momentum for the 2027 general elections.
