The All Progressives Congress and the Peoples Democratic Party have dismissed former Vice President Atiku Abubakar’s resignation from the PDP and his move to the coalition platform, the African Democratic Congress, to challenge President Bola Tinubu in the 2027 election as posing no threat.

In a letter dated July 14, 2025 and addressed to the Chairman of his Ward, Jada 1 in Adamawa State, Atiku formally announced his resignation from the PDP.

Since 1999, Atiku has left the PDP on three different occasions — each time to further his presidential ambition.

In 2006, ahead of the 2007 presidential election, he defected to the Action Congress. In February 2014, he again left the PDP for the newly formed APC before his latest defection to the ADC.

Atiku and several opposition leaders have continued to criticise the ruling APC for failing to provide effective governance.

Consequently, on July 1, Atiku, former 2023 Labour Party presidential candidate Peter Obi, APC 2023 presidential aspirant Rotimi Amaechi, former Kaduna State Governor Nasir El-Rufai, and others adopted the ADC as a unified opposition platform to challenge President Bola Tinubu in the 2027 election.

As part of the coalition’s formation, they named former Senate President David Mark as interim National Chairman and former Osun State Governor Rauf Aregbesola as interim National Secretary.

Atiku, who was the PDP’s presidential candidate in the 2019 and 2023 elections, stated that his decision to resign was prompted by the direction the party was currently heading, which he believed no longer aligned with its founding ideals.

The letter obtained by The PUNCH on Wednesday read in part, “I am writing to formally resign my membership from the People’s Democratic Party (PDP) with immediate effect.

“I would like to take this opportunity to express my profound gratitude for the opportunities I have been given by the party. 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. As a founding father of this esteemed party, it is indeed heartbreaking for me to make this decision.

 

“However, I find it necessary to part ways due to the current trajectory the Pprty has taken, which I believe diverges from the foundational principles we stood for. It is with a heavy heart that I resign, recognising the irreconcilable differences that have emerged.