Atiku Abubakar, the 2023 presidential candidate of the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP), has cleared the air about rumors suggesting he may defect to the ruling All Progressives Congress (APC).
During a closed-door meeting with the PDP Board of Trustees (BoT) women members, the former Vice President firmly stated his commitment to the party and stressed the importance of forming a coalition to challenge the APC in the next general elections.
Speaking at his Abuja residence, Atiku noted that the idea of a coalition was not a new one in Nigerian politics. He reminded the group of a similar alliance in the Second Republic between the National Party of Nigeria (NPN) and the Nigeria Peoples Party (NPP), known as the NPN-NPP Accord. He said that such political cooperation had worked before and could be effective again, adding that it would not affect the identity or future of the PDP.
According to sources present at the meeting, Atiku explained that the proposed coalition was being built across Nigeria, with leaders and stakeholders from different regions and political parties showing interest. He noted that this movement was being powered by ordinary Nigerians who want to see the country rebuilt and rescued from what they see as poor leadership under the APC.
The women, led by former Minister of Women Affairs and ex-National Women Leader Hajia Inna Ciroma, visited Atiku as part of their mission to intervene in the deepening crisis within the PDP. Ciroma told reporters that the BoT women were concerned about the party’s direction, especially the absence of strong leadership and the recent wave of defections.
“We, as PDP Board of Trustees, BoT, members, the conscience of the party, decided to take this bold decision to come into the crisis the party is going through,” she said. “We cannot fold our hands and see things go bad in our great party.”
She confirmed that the discussions with Atiku were constructive and centered around leadership, party unity, funding, and the coalition plan. According to her, Atiku reassured the women that he was not leaving the PDP and welcomed their support in rebuilding the party.
“We told him that there must be leadership and direction in the party,” Ciroma added. “He told us that he was not leaving the party, as he discussed much on the coalition and the need for us to key in.”
The PDP has been facing growing internal challenges since the 2023 elections, with increasing defections and leadership struggles. In response, the BoT women have begun reaching out to party stakeholders and governors, seeking solutions to the lingering crisis.
Their visit to Atiku follows a similar meeting last week with the Acting National Chairman, Ambassador Umar Damagum, at the PDP National Secretariat. The women spent over 90 minutes discussing strategies to halt the party’s decline.
To continue their peace efforts, the BoT women are setting up a committee that will visit PDP leaders across the country to hear their concerns and chart a new course for the party’s survival ahead of 2027.
