Former Vice President Atiku Abubakar has resigned from the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP), citing irreconcilable differences with the party’s current direction.

In a letter dated 14 July 2025 and addressed to the PDP Chairman of Jada 1 Ward, Jada Local Government Area of Adamawa State, Atiku announced his immediate departure, expressing disillusionment with what he described as the party’s departure from its founding principles.

The letter reads in part:
“I am writing to formally resign my membership of the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) with immediate effect. I would like to express my profound gratitude for the opportunities the party has afforded me. Serving two terms as Vice President of Nigeria and twice as a presidential candidate remains one of the most significant chapters of my life.

“As a founding member of this esteemed party, this decision is heartbreaking. However, the direction the party has taken diverges from the foundational principles we once shared. With a heavy heart, I resign, recognising the irreconcilable differences that have emerged. I wish the party and its leadership all the best.”

Atiku served as Vice President under President Olusegun Obasanjo from 1999 to 2007. He was the PDP’s presidential candidate in the 2019 and 2023 elections, losing to Muhammadu Buhari and President Bola Tinubu, respectively.

His exit comes amid growing momentum among opposition figures ahead of the 2027 general elections. Atiku has joined forces with other prominent political figures—including Peter Obi, Rotimi Amaechi, and Nasir El-Rufai—in a coalition aimed at unseating the APC government. On 2 July, the coalition adopted the African Democratic Congress (ADC) as its platform, appointing former Senate President David Mark as interim national chairman and former Osun State Governor Rauf Aregbesola as interim secretary.

This is not Atiku’s first departure from the PDP. In 2007, he left to contest the presidency under the Action Congress of Nigeria (ACN) after the PDP endorsed the late Umaru Musa Yar’Adua. He later returned but failed to secure the party’s 2011 ticket, which went to Goodluck Jonathan.

In 2014, Atiku defected again, joining the APC alongside other key PDP figures. He lost the APC presidential primary to Buhari but supported his eventual victory. He returned to the PDP in 2017, securing its ticket for the 2019 and 2023 elections.

His latest resignation, the third from the PDP, follows a long-standing internal rift, notably the fallout with FCT Minister Nyesom Wike during the 2022 primaries, which deepened divisions within the party.