Judul : Makinde, Keyamo, Others React As Atiku Quits PDP Again
link : Makinde, Keyamo, Others React As Atiku Quits PDP Again
Makinde, Keyamo, Others React As Atiku Quits PDP Again
Oyo State Governor Seyi Makinde has tackled former Vice President Atiku Abubakar over his exit from the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP). Speaking yesterday, he said it is better for anyone holding back the PDP to leave the party.
His reaction followed the resignation of the former vice president from the party. Atiku had conveyed his resignation in a letter addressed to the PDP ward chairman of Jada Ward 1, in Jada Local Government Area of Adamawa State. The letter, dated July 14 and sighted by Daily Trust on Thursday, was confirmed as authentic by the former vice president's media office.
In the letter, Atiku said his decision was driven by his belief that the PDP had strayed from its founding ideals.
'I am writing to formally resign my membership from the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) with immediate effect,' he wrote.
'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 heart-breaking for me to make this decision. However, 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, recognising the irreconcilable differences that have emerged.
'I wish the party and its leadership all the best in the future. Thank you once again for the opportunities and support.'
Speaking to journalists after a colloquium to mark the 10th anniversary of the Deji of Akure, Oba Aladetoyinbo Ogunlade Aladelusi, Makinde said:
'Politics is a game of interest. I don't think his exit will make any dent on the PDP as a party. The PDP is an institution. We have freedom of entrance and exit. Anyone who holds the PDP down-it is better for such an individual to quit.
'What we must all realise is that players will come and go, governors will come and go, presidents will come and go, but our state and country will remain,' he added.
Also speaking, the Minister of Aviation and Aerospace Development, Festus Keyamo (SAN), criticised Atiku's use of Nigeria's coat of arms on his resignation letter, describing it as both illegal and immoral.
Citing Section 6 of the Flag and Coat of Arms Act, Cap. F30, Laws of the Federation of Nigeria, 2004, Keyamo said it was an offence to use the national symbol without proper authorisation
The section quoted read: 'Any person who, without the permission of the President or the Minister, uses or displays the National Flag or the Coat of Arms or any design or part thereof in connection with any trade, business, calling or profession, or for the purpose of advertising, shall be guilty of an offence and liable on conviction to a fine of one hundred naira or imprisonment for a term of six months, or to both.'
Keyamo argued that Atiku's continued use of the coat of arms more than 18 years after leaving government was both legally questionable and morally wrong.
'It is morally reprehensible to use a symbol suggesting that you are acting on behalf of the authority it represents. It borders on impersonation.
'Imagine a situation where all former public officials continue to use the coat of arms in their personal or political communications-there would be chaos.'
He said it was his duty as a cabinet member and Senior Advocate of Nigeria to defend the law and advise Atiku to 'be well guided.'
Keyamo also described the timing of the letter's release as opportunistic. He said, 'Releasing your letter of resignation from the PDP during this week of national mourning for our late President Muhammadu Buhari was clearly aimed at diverting attention. In fact, you prepared, typed, signed, and delivered that letter the morning after his death was announced.
'With the greatest respect, this shows that your obsession with your perennial presidential ambition knows no bounds-no sympathy, no empathy.'
Atiku's journey
It is worthy of note that this will be the third time former Vice President Atiku Abubakar will be resigning from the People's Democratic Party (PDP) in 19 years.
Atiku, who served as vice president from 1999 to 2007 under the PDP, first left the party in 2006 following public fallout with then-President Olusegun Obasanjo, and contested the 2007 presidential election on the platform of the Action Congress (AC).
He returned to the PDP in 2009, but defected again in 2013, joining forces with late Muhammadu Buhari, Bola Tinubu, Bukola Saraki, Nasir El-Rufai, and other prominent politicians to form the All Progressives Congress (APC). He sought the APC presidential ticket but was unsuccessful. The alliance eventually led to the APC's victory in the 2015 general elections.
Atiku re-joined the PDP in 2017, ran for president in 2019 and 2023 under its banner, and has now exited the party once again.
Ex-VP silent on next move
Despite confirming his latest resignation, the former VP has remained silent on his next political move.
His exit, however, has already sparked a wave of speculation, with the African Democratic Congress (ADC)-recently adopted by the opposition coalition he leads-welcoming him as a boost to its efforts to unseat President Bola Ahmed Tinubu and the ruling All Progressives Congress (APC) in 2027.
While Atiku had earlier denied reports of his resignation amid the coalition's mobilisation, one of his key allies, Alhaji Adamu Maina Waziri, had told Daily Trust that all leaders involved in the coalition had agreed to quit their old parties following the adoption of ADC as their platform for the 2027 elections.
Following the coalition's adoption of ADC, prominent politicians such as former Rivers State Governor Rotimi Amaechi and former Attorney General of the Federation and Minister of Justice, Abubakar Malami (SAN), also announced their resignation from the APC to join the ADC. Their moves followed the earlier resignation of former Senate President David Mark from the PDP before he was named interim national chairman of the ADC, alongside former Osun State Governor Rauf Aregbesola, who was appointed interim national secretary.
However, the delay by other key figures-such as Atiku, Labour Party's 2023 presidential candidate Peter Obi, and former Kaduna State Governor Nasir El-Rufai (now of the Social Democratic Party)-has fuelled speculation that they may remain in their respective parties while supporting the new platform from behind the scenes.
While Atiku has formally moved out of the PDP but silent on his next move, Obi has repeatedly maintained that he remains a member of the Labour Party despite the coalition's use of the ADC. El-Rufai has similarly remained in the SDP and has yet to address public speculation about his status.
Too premature to talk about next destination - Atiku's aide
When contacted on Atiku's next steps, his Special Assistant on Public Communication, Phrank Shaibu, said it was too early to discuss such matters given the current national mood following the death of former President Muhammadu Buhari.
'It is not about where we are heading to. First, we expect that you will congratulate us for leaving a party that is already dead. And we have left the carcass for those who destroyed it-those who claimed they came in the afternoon to build the party overnight,' Shaibu said.
'We have done our best, even in the face of imponderable odds. Atiku remained very calm, even while party members worked against his ambition during the last presidential election. He did not rock the boat. After the election, he still remained in the party and tried everything within his ability to reconcile aggrieved members. But it did not work, because some persons were already positioned as agents of destabilisation.
'So now they can carry the carcass-carry the coffin,' he said.
Shaibu added: 'Atiku didn't leave the PDP. The PDP left Nigerians. The party that once stood as the bastion of democracy, inclusion, and progress has, over time, succumbed to internal sabotage, hijacked by parochial interests, and an unwillingness to reform. Atiku's decision was not about personal ambition-it was about saving the opposition space from collapse.
'When a house is on fire and the elders refuse to quench the flames, the wise do not perish with the ashes. Atiku did not leave out of desperation. He left to give Nigerians hope. He left because the PDP is no longer what it once was-it has lost its soul, its structure, and its seriousness. Atiku is leading a movement, not chasing a party logo. That's the difference.'
He insisted that Atiku was not alone in leaving the PDP.
'The majority of who is who-including young people, the old, the working class-have all left. They have left the party for those who want to do what they like with it. We are waiting for them to organise a funeral for the party.'
Pressed again on whether Atiku was heading to the ADC, Shaibu replied, 'Well, for now, you know, we are mourning. We are still in Daura. To the glory of God, today we attended the three-day prayer for His Excellency, President Muhammadu Buhari. And until we leave here, we do not intend to discuss politics for now.'
When it was pointed out that Atiku's resignation became public during the mourning period, he clarified: 'No. This thing has been done since the 14th of July. It was not today [Wednesday]. It was because of press inquiries-journalists kept calling us. That was why we confirmed it. It was not in our interest to announce it.'
Asked again if Atiku's next stop was the ADC, Shaibu said, 'Like I said, it is too premature. We believe in humanity, and for now we want to mourn peacefully. After that, of course, we will [announce it]. Our politics is not hidden. Atiku is a national figure. We will do it right.'
He added: 'The coalition is about coalition for good governance. We are not after power. We are after a better Nigeria.'
'It's good riddance to bad rubbish', says PDP
When contacted, the acting National Chairman of the PDP, Ambassador Umar Damagum, referred Daily Trust to the party's Deputy National Publicity Secretary, Ibrahim Abdullahi, for an official response.
In a telephone interview, Abdullahi described former Atiku's exit as 'good riddance to bad rubbish.'
He insisted that the party was not built for any individual and would not be held hostage by one man.
'There's no one person that will hold us to ransom,' he said. 'We are going to gather ourselves together, mobilise Nigerians, rekindle their confidence, and win the 2027 election by the grace of God.'
On claims that the leadership style of Damagum led to Atiku's departure, Abdullahi dismissed the suggestion, recalling Atiku's previous exits from the PDP.
'Was Damagum there when he left in 2006? Was Damagum there when he left in 2011? Was Damagum there when he left in 2014?' he asked.
'So Damagum couldn't have been the reason. He's just an alibi looking for fifth columnists to blame for his unbridled ambition. Like I said earlier, good riddance to bad rubbish. The PDP is not losing any sleep, as far as we are concerned.'
Abdullahi said the party had always known Atiku's resignation was a matter of time.
'He has demonstrated his lack of commitment to this party. What Atiku Abubakar has pursued all along within the PDP has been his own ambition.
'This was clear in 2006, when, as a sitting Vice President, he aspired to the presidency under the then AC. He was not successful when he went against Obasanjo. If that wasn't anti-party activity, I don't know what is.
'He did the same in 2011 when he contested the PDP ticket against then President Goodluck Jonathan, who was seeking his first full term. The party had adopted the principle of right of first refusal, which Jonathan was entitled to. Atiku defied that resolution and was only able to mobilise delegates from five states. Jonathan swept the remaining 29.'
Abdullahi said the pattern continued in 2015 and 2019. 'In 2015, he again sought the presidency. He left the country, only to return on the eve of the 2019 election to pursue the PDP ticket. He lost, disappeared again, and returned just before the 2023 polls, still insisting on the ticket. That time, he secured it at the expense of the party's zoning arrangement. That triggered Wike to go the way he did. Zoning was supposed to be observed in 2023,' he said.
He further accused Atiku of failing to unite the party after clinching the ticket in 2023.
'After picking the ticket, we expected him to rally critical stakeholders within the party. Instead, there was divisiveness, nonchalance, and poor management of the opportunity. He surrounded himself with people like Dino Melaye and Bwala-individuals who told him what he wanted to hear, rather than the truth. And so, once again, we lost the election due to his carelessness.'
Abdullahi concluded that Atiku 'has not shown desire, hunger or commitment' to the PDP.
No politician can defeat Tinubu without PDP backing - Osadolor
On his part, a member of the PDP's National Executive Committee (NEC), Timothy Osadolor, warned that no political party or coalition can unseat the APC in 2027 without the support of the PDP.
Speaking against the backdrop of Atiku's resignation from the PDP, Osadolor said that while the party would miss the former vice president, it would remain strong and relevant. He added that it would be in Atiku's own interest not to burn bridges with the party.
'Only one thing is certain today, and that is President Bola Ahmed Tinubu is a one-term president. Who will replace him is still under discussion, so it's hard to say Mr A or Mr B will do so. But I know that whoever replaces the president must have the backing of the PDP and must be of the PDP family,' Osadolor told Daily Trust.
Osadolor said Atiku, as a Nigerian citizen, is entitled to his constitutional rights of freedom of association and movement.
'People would have expected him to stay in the PDP to help nurture and provide leadership, but he believes his chances are better with the ADC. We cannot begrudge him for that. However, no one is indispensable. The PDP needs to step up. If they had planned to go one mile in their political calculations, they may now need to go five miles to compensate for the gap Atiku has left behind.'
He described Atiku's move as strategic and possibly driven by assurances from the coalition.
'For me, he's leaving because he's going into a coalition. If that coalition has given him the green light that he will succeed, then the concern shouldn't be for the PDP-it should be for the man in Aso Rock, whose seat is now threatened. But if I were Atiku, I would not burn the bridges of the PDP or any other party. Because one thing we can all agree on is that Nigeria is suffering, Nigeria is bleeding, and Nigeria needs healing.'
Osadolor called for a united effort by the opposition to dislodge the current administration.
'All hands must be on deck to ensure a coordinated approach to unseat this current government, which appears determined to retain power by all means necessary.'
He insisted that the PDP had survived without Atiku before and would do so again.
'No matter what happens, we will miss him. But we can move on and we'll survive without him. He has left before, and the PDP didn't die. The PDP will not die today, will not die tomorrow, and will not die at any time.'
ADC expresses excitement, insists no automatic presidential ticket
Bolaji Abdullahi, spokesperson of the ADC, said the party was excited by Atiku's exit from the PDP, which he said ended doubts about the former VP's commitment to the coalition.
'We are excited. Alhaji Atiku Abubakar has been a strong pillar of the coalition from day one. For those who questioned why he remained in the PDP while working with the coalition, now they have their answer.
'We hope that in the coming days many others will follow suit. ADC is a party whose time has come. It's now clear-you're either with the APC that's destroying the country or with the ADC coalition.'
Asked whether Atiku had been promised the right of first refusal for the 2027 presidential ticket, Abdullahi responded:
'That is not true. That is not correct. The ADC will provide a level playing field for every aspirant. We have no anointed candidate and no one has promised anybody any ticket. Alhaji Atiku Abubakar joined our party because he believes in what the ADC represents. He no longer wants to associate with people who have destroyed Nigeria.'
He also dismissed speculation that Peter Obi had secured a one-term agreement as part of negotiations to join the coalition.
'Nobody is having a conversation about the issue of the presidency at this moment. The challenge we face is how to build our party.
'Obi might have been misquoted by the media, but even if what was reported is true, we're not holding conversations around it right now.'
What this means for Atiku, PDP, ADC - Analysts
Commenting on the implications of Atiku's resignation from the PDP, Professor Abubakar Umar Kari, a political sociologist at the University of Abuja, described the development as both 'inevitable' and 'desirable.'
'Atiku's resignation was expected-in fact, it was long in coming. His differences with the PDP were irreconcilable. He is determined to have another shot at the presidency, and the likelihood of achieving that under the PDP was becoming increasingly bleak,' Kari said.
He argued that the current leadership of the PDP is hostile to Atiku's ambition and aligned with the interests of the Federal Capital Territory Minister, Nyesom Wike.
'The party's national leadership, as presently constituted, appears to be under the beck and call of FCT Minister Nyesom Wike-who has never hidden the fact that he's working for President Tinubu. His main job is to ensure that the PDP does not pose a serious challenge to his principal in 2027.'
Kari warned that Atiku's departure is a major blow to the PDP.
'Atiku is a political heavyweight who is arguably irreplaceable. His departure does the party no good at all. It all but confirms the reality that the PDP is gradually imploding and disintegrating. David Mark, a former Senate President, has left. Now Atiku. Several other high-profile and influential party chieftains are likely to follow. Some may remain but work against the party. This spells doom for its future.'
For the ADC, however, Kari said the development represents a net gain.
'The ADC has just made a significant political gain. Atiku will most likely end up there. This increases the chances of the much-anticipated opposition alliance materialising, and it will make the 2027 elections-especially the presidential race-more interesting and potentially competitive.'
But political analyst Monima Daminabo said Atiku's resignation could prove to be a blessing for the PDP.
'His resignation has saved the PDP from his presidential ambition. For a long time, Atiku's interest in the presidency has stifled the party's chances. That's a known fact,' he said.
Daminabo added that for Atiku to bring value to the ADC, he would have to transition from a presidential hopeful to a political kingmaker.
'What he can do now is to create a new king. That's what people want to see. Many Nigerians are disillusioned by what they perceive as Atiku's one-man agenda. They want a broader, more inclusive movement.'
On his part, political commentator Ilyasu Gadu said Atiku's next step should be to strengthen the ADC as a viable political vehicle.
'Ideally, what should be next for Atiku is to entrench the ADC in Nigeria's political space-to make it stronger as the coalition's platform in the next election cycle. I believe that's what will occupy his focus in the coming months.
'Whether he eventually contests the presidency again or not is a matter of conjecture. Let's wait and see what happens.'
On whether Atiku could emerge as the new rallying point for northern politicians following the death of former President Muhammadu Buhari, Gadu urged caution.
'We should not be hasty. Buhari and Atiku are two different personalities. Yes, Atiku has his own following, but he was never as popular as Buhari. The things that endeared Buhari to northern Nigerians are very different from what Atiku represents. Buhari enjoyed genuine grassroots love-people were willing to go to great lengths for him.'
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