The camps of former vice president, Atiku Abubakar and that of Federal Capital Territory (FCT) minister, Nyesom Wike, have disagreed on the import of Atiku’s resignation from the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP).
While Wike’s camp declared the exit “good riddance”, the other framed it as a patriotic move to save Nigeria’s democracy. Both camps featured on a Channels Tv programme on Thursday.
Atiku and Wike had had an intense battle for the control of the PDP which goes to the presidential primaries of PDP in 2022 which they both contested.
Although Atiku won the primaries, disagreements over power sharing between the North and South ahead of the 2023 presidential election led to a split within the party which contributed to its loss of the election won by President Bola Tinubu.
The senior special assistant to the FCT minister, Lere Olayinka, launched a scathing critique of Atiku’s political career, labelling him a serial defector who had “fashioned himself as a weapon against the PDP.”
“My first reaction? Good riddance to bad rubbish. The media headline should read: ‘Atiku Leaves PDP Again’ because he’s done this since 2007. He is the spoiled apple that infected our party’s basket,” he said.
Olayinka dismissed Atiku’s influence while questioning media references to publisher Dele Momodu as a ‘PDP heavyweight’.
“How is someone who joined in 2022 a bigwig? Can Momodu win his polling unit? Publishing photo books doesn’t make you a political force,” he said.
He accused Atiku of sabotaging PDP’s 2003 Lagos campaign while serving as vice president, noting he later apologised in 2018.
“If we had won Lagos then, Nigeria’s political trajectory would be different. Instead, he holds the shameful record of being the first sitting VP to defect – to Action Congress in 2007,” he said.
In his response, Atiku’s spokesperson, Phillip Shuaibu, framed the resignation as a moral stand against a compromised opposition.
“Atiku hasn’t given up – he’s refusing to enable a dying PDP that can’t confront this rudderless government. Staying would mean colluding with those pushing Nigeria toward a one-party state where 200 million destinies are locked,” he said.
Shuaibu dismissed criticism of Atiku using the vice-presidential coat of arms: “Even U.S. ex-presidents retain official seals. This is ceremonial, not immoral.”
Regarding the timing during President Buhari’s mourning period, Shuaibu clarified: “The resignation letter went quietly to his ward.
Atiku was in Daura for three days mourning, unlike government aides who insulted Buhari’s memory on social media.”
When asked about Atiku’s 2027 ambitions, Shuaibu remained noncommittal, “2027 is far off. Today, we are focused on stopping this government’s annihilation of opposition.”
He claimed Atiku’s 2014 defection to the APC caused PDP’s downfall: “Now he is gone again after failing to rebuild. I wonder, did a doctor prescribe the presidency as a cure for some ailment? His desperation is pathological.”
When pressed about PDP’s 2027 prospects, Olayinka admitted: “The party is damaged, but now we can rebuild without this recurring decimal. Though 2027 may be too soon for full recovery.”
Olayinka defended his principal’s PDP membership despite serving in an APC-led government: “Serving doesn’t mean defecting. Bola Ige served under PDP. Atiku is the true party wrecker.”
He predicted failure for Atiku’s next move: “This ‘coalition of confusion’ will collapse, and he’ll try returning to PDP. We must shut the door.”
