Former Vice President Atiku Abubakar yesterday dumped the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) for the third time, citing irreconcilable differences with the leadership.
Mixed reactions trailed Atiku’s new move by former colleagues and others, who faulted the timing and motivation for the defection.
The former Vice President said the party had deviated from the foundational principles which made it a formidable platform.
His exit was thumbed down by Oyo State Governor Seyi Makinde, who said the party saw the back of a man holding it down.
The governor believes Atiku’s departure would not affect PDP’s electoral fortunes.
But, one of his associates, Umar Bello Jada, who rationalised the defection, said Atiku left the party because it was no longer habitable for him.
Minister of Aviation and Aerospace Development, Festus Keyamo (SAN), who chided Atiku for wrong timing and lack of sensitivity, said the defection happened during the seven-day mourning declared by the Federal Government in honour of the late President Muhammadu Buhari.
The PDP chairman in Adamawa State, where Atiku hails from, Ahmed Shehu, a lawyer, said the chapter would not miss the ex-vice president.
On Monday, Atiku’s new political platform – the African Democratic Congress (ADC) – announced the suspension of political activities nationwide.
In a statement by his media aide, Paul Mumeh, the party’s Interim National Chairman, David Mark, announced the immediate suspension of all political activities at both the national and state levels for the duration of the mourning period.
But Atiku resigned from the PDP yesterday. It was the third time Atiku would call it quits with the party.
In 2007, as sitting Vice President to then President Olusegun Obasanjo, he left the PDP to contest for President on the ticket of the Action Congress (AC). He failed to win, only to return after the poll.
He defected to the newly formed All Progressives Congress (APC) in 2014 and challenged the late President Buhari for the party’s ticket, which he also failed to clinch.
He returned to the party in 2018 and contested for President on its ticket with Mr. Peter Obi, who defected from the All Progressives Grand Alliance (APGA) as his running mate. They were defeated by President Buhari.
He also contested on the party’s ticket in the 2023 election. He lost to President Bola Ahmed Tinubu.
Yesterday, he dumped the party for the ADC, where he is seeking the ticket to contest for President in 2027.
