The dramatic resignation of former Vice‑President Atiku Abubakar from the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) on 16 July 2025 has prompted scathing derision from Lere Olayinka, Senior Special Assistant on Public Communication to FCT Minister Wike, who described it as “good riddance to bad rubbish” and yet another exit in a decades‑long pattern of defections.
This sensational development, timed amid national mourning for ex‑President Buhari, underscores deep fissures within Nigeria’s principal opposition and raises urgent questions about Atiku’s political brand, the PDP’s resilience, and the broader implications for the 2027 election.
Atiku’s resignation letter, dated 14 July 2025 and addressed to the Chairman of PDP Jada 1 Ward in Adamawa State, cited “irreconcilable differences” and a departure from the party’s core values as justification for his immediate withdrawal.
In his own words, “As a founding father of this esteemed Party, it is indeed heartbreaking for me to make this decision,” yet he concluded that the PDP’s trajectory “diverges from the foundational principles we stood for”.
On Channels Television’s Sunrise Daily, Olayinka seized upon Atiku’s announcement to wield a harsh metaphor: likening his exit to the Hausa proverb “sai gobe” (it’ll be tomorrow), he jibes that the headline ought to have read “Atiku Abubakar leaves PDP again,” for “since 2007, he has been leaving”.
Olayinka further accused Atiku of weaponising defection, lamenting that he “happened to be like the weapon fashioned against the PDP” in pursuit of personal ambition.
Atiku’s political odyssey is marked by at least three major departures from the PDP:
2006–07: Fell out with President Obasanjo, defected to Action Congress (AC), and contested the 2007 presidential election while still Vice‑President—a constitutional first and a move that triggered a Supreme Court challenge over alleged vacancy of office.
2014: Joined the nascent All Progressives Congress (APC) ahead of the 2015 elections, only to lose its primaries to Muhammadu Buhari, and returned to the PDP in late 2017.
2025: The present exit to join the African Democratic Congress (ADC) amid formation of a “coalition of confusion,” as Olayinka derides it.
Overall, Atiku has contested for Nigeria’s presidency six times (1993, 2007, 2011, 2015, 2019 and 2023) without success, underlining persistent electoral disappointment despite consistent defiance of party loyalty.
Olayinka charges that Atiku’s only enduring interest is “Atiku and Abubakar,” insinuating that every failed bid precipitates another defection.
Yet from a realpolitik perspective, periodic re‑alignment may seem shrewd—allowing him to exploit fracturing coalitions and recalibrate alliances ahead of 2027.
However, such habitual disloyalty risks painting him as mercurial, eroding voter trust in an electorate weary of political opportunism.
Perhaps most incendiary was Atiku’s decision to make his resignation public barely 24 hours after the funeral of former President Muhammadu Buhari, during a seven‑day national mourning period.
Olayinka lamented that “he could not even wait for the seven days mourning period of Buhari to end,” branding the timing as “desperate” and insensitive to national grief.
This perceived callousness risks alienating key demographics attuned to respect for tradition and protocol.
Despite the theatrics, PDP stalwarts such as Governors Seyi Makinde and Bode George insist Atiku’s exodus “won’t affect our fortunes” in 2027.
Yet Olayinka concedes that the party must now “begin to put its house in order,” even if “making a good showing” in 2027 remains uncertain
The real test lies in whether the PDP can galvanise fresh leadership, coalesce around credible candidates, and restore organisational discipline in the face of APC’s tightening grip on federal power.
Comparative Historical Context:
Third‑term rebellions: Atiku’s 2014 move helped forge the APC coalition that ended PDP’s 16‑year reign in 2015, illustrating how high‑profile defections can reshape Nigeria’s political landscape.
Electoral volatility: Since 1999, Nigeria has witnessed nine party realignments at the presidential and vice‑presidential levels—an indicator of endemic instability and personal ambition overruling ideological fidelity.
Atiku Abubakar’s latest departure from the PDP represents both a continuation of his storied cycle of defections and a calculated gambit ahead of 2027.
While Lere Olayinka’s savage mockery crystallises the growing narrative of Atiku as a “weapon” against party unity, the broader stakes hinge on the PDP’s capacity to rebuild and the ADC‑led coalition’s ability to convert high‑profile defections into electoral momentum.
As Nigeria hurtles towards a pivotal election, one question looms: will Atiku’s perennial voyages fuel a new political frontier or cement his legacy as the quintessential political drifter?
