Former Vice President Atiku Abubakar has dumped the Peoples Democratic Party, saying the party is on a trajectory that contradicts its ideology.

Mr Abubakar, a founding member of the PDP,  tendered his resignation on July 14.

A copy of Mr Abubakar’s resignation letter seen on social media read, “I am writing to formally resign my membership from the People’s Democratic Party (PDP) with immediate effect.”

Explaining his decision for quitting the party, Mr Abubakar said, “I find it necessary to part ways due to the current trajectory the party has taken, which I believe diverges from the foundational principles we stood for. It is with a heavy heart that I resign, recognizing the irreconcilable differences that have emerged.”

Mr Abubakar thanked the party for giving him a platform to serve as vice president between 1999-2007.

“I would like to take this opportunity to express my profound gratitude for the opportunities I have been given by the party. Serving two full terms as Vice President of Nigeria and being a presidential candidate twice has been one of the most significant chapters of my life,” Mr Abubakar said.

The former vice president’s resignation from the PDP came a few weeks after the formation of a coalition by opposition politicians.

The coalition adopted the African Democratic Congress as their official party to contest the 2027 presidential poll. 

An arrowhead in the coalition, Mr Abubakar, 78, who will turn 80 by 2027, will be taking his seventh shot at the presidency if he emerges as candidate of the ADC coalition, having contested the presidency six times.

In 1993, Mr Abubakar contested on the Social Democratic Party (SDP) platform. After serving two terms as vice president upon return to democracy in 1999, Mr Abubakar in 2007, contested on the Action Congress of Nigeria (ACN) platform, losing to Umar Ya’Adua of the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP).

He challenged former President Goodluck Jonathan in the PDP’s primaries in 2011 and lost.  After joining the All Progressives Congress in 2014 ahead of the 2015 election, Mr Abubakar lost the presidential primaries to Mr Muhammadu Buhari.

The former vice president returned to the PDP in 2017 and lost the presidential election to Mr Buhari of the APC in 2019. He contested against Mr Tinubu in 2023 and also lost.