Former Nigerian Vice President Atiku Abubakar has officially resigned from the People’s Democratic Party, ending his 26-year association with the opposition party.
The two-time presidential candidate submitted his resignation letter on July 14, 2025, to the Chairman of PDP Jada 1 Ward in Adamawa State.
In the letter obtained by journalists, Atiku stated: “I am writing to formally resign my membership from the People’s Democratic Party with immediate effect.” The 78-year-old politician, who served as Vice President from 1999-2007 under President Olusegun Obasanjo, expressed emotional difficulty in leaving the party he helped establish in 1998.
“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,” Atiku wrote. “As a founding father of this esteemed party, it is indeed heartbreaking for me to make this decision.”
The resignation letter cited fundamental disagreements with the party’s current direction: “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. It is with a heavy heart that I resign, recognizing the irreconcilable differences that have emerged.”
Atiku concluded on a conciliatory note: “I wish the Party and its leadership all the best in the future. Thank you once again for the opportunities and support.” The document was officially received and stamped by Hammardama Abubakar, the ward chairman, on the same day.
This development follows Atiku’s recent formation of a coalition with Peter Obi (Labour Party), Nasir el-Rufai and Rotimi Amaechi (both former APC members) under the African Democratic Congress banner to challenge President Bola Tinubu in 2027.
