With the race for the Peoples Democratic Party’s 2027 presidential ticket underway, former Vice President Atiku Abubakar’s exit has cleared the way for Oyo State Governor Seyi Makinde, Bauchi State Governor Bala Mohammed, and other hopefuls seeking to challenge President Bola Tinubu.
Reliable PDP insiders, who spoke on condition of anonymity, confirmed that the presidential ambitions of Makinde and Bala were well known among key party stakeholders.
Another party source revealed that the PDP remained open to any aspirant willing to contest for the presidential ticket in line with the party’s constitution.
While PDP chieftain Chief Bode George confirmed in an exclusive interview with The PUNCH that efforts to secure a southern presidential flagbearer are underway, other National Executive Committee members have expressed differing opinions on the issue of zoning.
As the PDP prepares for its 101st NEC meeting scheduled for Thursday July 24, The PUNCH exclusively gathered that critical issues — such as zoning and the party’s national convention — are high on the agenda for discussion and resolution.
Reacting in an exclusive interview with our correspondent, the All Progressives Congress Director of Publicity, Bala Ibrahim, stated that no matter the PDP’s zoning decision or choice of candidate, the party was destined for defeat in 2027.
Recently, during its 100th NEC meeting held on June 30, the PDP resolved the long-standing dispute over the position of National Secretary by confirming Senator Samuel Anyanwu as the party’s scribe.
However, despite this resolution, former Vice President Atiku Abubakar and some of his loyalists left the party, citing unresolved internal conflicts. Atiku, along with other opposition figures, has continued to criticise the ruling APC for its poor governance performance.
In response, on July 1, Atiku, 2023 Labour Party presidential candidate, Peter Obi; former APC presidential aspirant, Rotimi Amaechi; former Kaduna Governor Nasir El-Rufai, and others united under the African Democratic Congress, positioning it as a joint opposition platform to challenge the APC in the 2027 elections.
As part of this coalition effort, they appointed former Senate President David Mark as interim National Chairman and former Osun State Governor Rauf Aregbesola as interim National Secretary.
Explaining his departure from the PDP, Atiku, who was the party’s presidential flagbearer in 2019 and 2023, said the party’s current trajectory no longer reflected its founding values, prompting his decision to step away.
Atiku’s letter 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 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.”
A party insider said that Atiku’s 2027 presidential ambition has posed a challenge both to the party’s stability and to the aspirations of other contenders.
The source stated, “You see, the exit of Atiku Abubakar is going to bring calm to the party. You know, before now, his ambition has always been a threat to the ambition of others, even to the peace in the party.
“Party leaders are always skeptical about how they resolve one or two issues so that they won’t play into his hands or into his favour. But now that he has left the party, I think it’s going to clear the path for others to pursue their ambition.
“I know that the likes of Seyi Makinde of Oyo State, Bala Mohammed of Bauchi State, and other leaders of our party are aspiring to run on the party’s ticket for the 2027 election. But of course, popular among leaders of the party and other stakeholders within the party for now are Makinde and Bala Mohammed.
“We know that others will still come and aspire for the party’s ticket come 2027. As a matter of fact, the doors of the party are open to those who are willing to aspire for the ticket.
“PDP is a party for all Nigerians. It is a popular party with structure across all the local governments, the wards, and the states, a very formidable opposition. Forget the noise that the ADC is making. PDP still remains the major opposition party. We have governors. We have senators. We have elected assembly members and quite a lot more to offer Nigerians.”
