Damagum: Atiku’s exit from PDP not new — we’re expecting him back

Umar Damagum, acting national chairman of the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP), says former Atiku Abubakar’s resignation from the party is neither new nor surprising.

On July 14, Abubakar tendered his resignation from the PDP, saying the party has strayed from its founding ideals and is bogged down by “irreconcilable differences”.

‘WE’RE EXPECTING HIM BACK’

Speaking with journalists on Friday in Bauchi state, Damagum said the party expects Abubakar back.

Damagum said the PDP is not alarmed by the Aubakar’s resignation, as it has become accustomed to his repeated exits and re-entries over the years.

The PDP acting chairman described Abubakar’s move as a strategic political decision rather than a permanent break from the party.

“This is not the first time. We are expecting him (Atiku Abubakar) back,” he said.

Though Abubakar has yet to formally announce his next party, he is a significant member of the opposition coalition of politicians who have adopted the African Democratic Congress (ADC) as their political platform for the 2027 elections.

ABUBAKAR’S DEFECTION HISTORY SINCE 1999

Abubakar, a founding member of the PDP, has defected from the party thrice since 1999. Internal party conflicts and presidential ambitions have marked his political journey across parties.

His first defection occurred in 2006 when Abubakar left the PDP to join the Action Congress (AC), which later became the Action Congress of Nigeria (ACN).

This move was driven by his ambition to contest the 2007 presidential election, which he eventually lost.

In 2009, Abubakar returned to the PDP. Although some influential northern politicians backed him, he lost the primary to then President Goodluck Jonathan ahead of the 2011 elections.

In 2014, Abubakar left the party again and joined the newly formed All Progressives Congress (APC). He contested the APC presidential primary ahead of the 2015 general election but was defeated by late Muhammadu Buhari, who eventually won the presidency.

In 2017, Abubakar defected for the third time, leaving the APC and returning to the PDP. He won the PDP’s presidential ticket for the 2019 and 2023 elections but was unsuccessful in clinching the presidency.