The Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) has recorded a major blow as its founding member and Presidential candidate in the last two general elections, Atiku Abubakar officially resigned his membership of the party, reports, the gazellenews.com.
Thegazellenews.com recalled that this would mark the third time Atiku is resigning from the PDP.
In 2006, he resigned his membership to contest for the Presidency of the country on the platform of the Action Congress (AC).
After losing the election, he returned to the party only for him to resign again and joined the coalition that led to the formation of the All Progressives Congress (APC) in 2014, where he contested the party’s Presidential Primaries but lost to the late Muhammadu Buhari.
He returned to the PDP and was the party’s presidential candidate for the last two general elections in the country: 2019 and 2023.
For the third time, he has resigned his membership of the party having joined the All Democratic Congress (ADC).
In a letter dated, Monday, 14 July, 2025, and addressed to the PDP Ward Chairman in Jada 1 Ward, Jada Local Government Area of Adamawa State, Atiku stated that his resignation takes immediate effect.
The former Vice President, who served from 1999 to 2007 and contested for the presidency under the PDP platform twice, expressed deep gratitude for the opportunities given to him by the party over the years.
He described his decision to step away as “heartbreaking,” especially considering his role as a founding father of the PDP.
However, Atiku cited what he called the party’s current trajectory, which he believes has diverged from its founding principles, as the reason for his exit.
According to him, irreconcilable differences have emerged within the party forcing him to part ways.
