₦airaland Forum

Public affairs analyst, Mahdi Shehu, has strongly criticised former Vice President Atiku Abubakar for resigning from the opposition Peoples Democratic Party (PDP).

In a post on his official X handle on Wednesday, July 16, 2025, Shehu described Atiku’s exit as a betrayal of the party he helped build and a victory for his political enemies.

In a letter dated Monday. July 14, 2025, and addressed to the chairman of the PDP, Jada 1 Ward, Jada local government area (LGA) of Adamawa state, Alhaji Atiku stated that his resignation is due to irreconcilable differences that have emerged within the former ruling party.


The 78-year-old noted that he found it necessary to part ways due to the current trajectory the party has taken, which, according to him, diverges from the foundational principles it stood for.

Atiku, who served as Nigeria’s vice president between 1999 and 2007, expressed gratitude to the PDP for the platform it provided him to serve and twice contest the presidency—in 2019 and 2023.

He was also a presidential aspirant on the platform of the party in 2007 before decamping to the Action Congress (AC), a forerunner of the All Progressives Congress (APC).

His exit marks another major turning point in his long and eventful political career, which has seen him criss-cross party lines in pursuit of electoral goals.

Atiku has sought Nigeria’s top job six times since 1993 under different political banners, including the Social Democratic Party (SDP), the PDP, the AC, and the APC .

The perennial presidential contender tendered his resignation in the build-up to the 2027 general election as he teams up with a coalition platform, the Alliance Democratic Congress (ADC).


Reacting to Atiku's exit from the PDP, Shehu said, 'by resigning to join the league of his several sworn foes, detractors and enemies, means Atiku is yet to learn political survival instincts.'

According to him, "I would rather remain within than just fizzle away to an uncertain destination."
Among other alleged implications, Shehu said by abandoning the PDP 'because of rats (sic) infestation', Atiku has "shown that he is not a good fighter willing to fight to finish."


Mahdi Shehu's post, shared on his verified X (formerly Twitter) handle, can be read in full below:

1. There is a great lesson for people to learn from:
Whoever contributed in building a house over decades, furnished it, decorated it, repainted it severally, and periodically, felt very much at home, fought to keep the said house from collapse, driving pride from being part of that house, etc, but suddenly abandoned, deserted and run away of the house because of "RATS INFESTATIONS.

By resigning from PDP, Atiku would have given Olusegun Obasanjo a happy moment to celebrate the triumph of his evil plan and mechanisation against both PDP and Atiku in particular
By abandoning PDP because of 'RATS INFESTATION', Atiku has shown that he is not a good fighter willing to fight to finish, willing to stop midway, willingly, to deploy all means available to prove a point.

By resigning from PDP, Atiku has sent shivers and shocks to other PDP members who were hitherto seeing him as a pillar to lean on.

By resigning to join the league of his several sworn foes, detractors, and enemies, means Atiku is yet to learn the political survival instincts that prohibit one from" joining the well-known enemies club" even where one will be seen as a leader, because the same enemies will regroup and inflict deeper injury.

I would rather remain within than just fizzle away to an uncertain destination.

[quote]'HE WHO FIGHTS AND RUNS AWAY. MAYBLIVE TO FIGHT ANOTHER DAY, BUT HE WHO IS IN BATTLE SLAIN, MAY NEVER RISE TO FIGHT AGAIN'

Wike don suffer...for Northerners hand.

I wonder why he didn't attend BUHARIs burial.

E sure say him for collect

Nonexisting1:
By abandoning PDP because of 'RATS INFESTATION'
Did he just call Wike a rat?

Na Wike I dey laugh pass sef. He is in PDP alone

Atiku and PO will smash TINUBU before 11.59 am...that one sure..

franchasng:
Paid influencers, una go wail tire.



It's Atiku's time and no man can stop him

TimeManager:
He called ADC the league of enemies / enemies club. From all indications, a lot of people, core northern voices, are not favourably disposed to the so called coalition. Who are these enemies in the coalition?, there is a growing resentments among the stranger bedfellows who are members of the coalition and the resentment is mutual.
I read earlier where PDP Adamawa were jubilating his exit from the party, showing how low Atiku had gone even in his home state. The coalition itself is being tagged all sorts of names and funnily, it's living up to its tags, while Obidients are issuing threats, some groups within the Coalition are issuing counter threats. Head or tail, the coalition of confusion is bound to fail. God bless President Bola Tinubu, God bless Nigeria.


-Kiss the truth!

henlooma80:
Desperation is what's driving Atiku around.
He has changed parties many times.
A good and visionary leader and politicians don't do that.

TimeManager:
He called ADC the league of enemies / enemies club. From all indications, a lot of people, core northern voices, are not favourably disposed to the so called coalition. Who are these enemies in the coalition?, there is a growing resentments among the stranger bedfellows who are members of the coalition and the resentment is mutual.
I read earlier where PDP Adamawa were jubilating his exit from the party, showing how low Atiku had gone even in his home state. The coalition itself is being tagged all sorts of names and funnily, it's living up to its tags, while Obidients are issuing threats, some groups within the Coalition are issuing counter threats. Head or tail, the coalition of confusion is bound to fail. God bless President Bola Tinubu, God bless Nigeria.


-Kiss the truth!

franchasng:
Paid influencers, una go wail tire.



It's Atiku's time and no man can stop him..


I am pro-Peter Obi but for the sake of humanity and to shame all the people that have betrayed Atiku, I will plead with Peter Obi to please set his ambition aside for now and kindly work with Atiku by deputizing him so that they can defeat Tinubu.



I really want Atiku to become President, even if it's for one day, the guy has suffered a lot of political betrayal, God should please show him mercy