“I’m Not Leaving PDP” – Atiku Assures BoT Women

Former Vice President and 2023 presidential candidate of the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP), Alhaji Atiku Abubakar, has dismissed speculations that he is planning to defect to the ruling All Progressives Congress (APC), declaring that he remains firmly committed to the PDP.

Atiku made this known when he received a delegation of women from the PDP Board of Trustees (BoT) at his residence in Abuja. The delegation, led by former Minister of Women Affairs and former National Women Leader, Hajia Inna Ciroma, visited to express concern over the state of the party and to seek his intervention in preventing further internal collapse.

Responding to their concerns, Atiku reassured the group that he had no intention of abandoning the PDP. He emphasized that his current efforts to build a broad political coalition ahead of the 2027 general elections should not be misconstrued as a plan to exit the party. According to him, the coalition is a strategic response to the urgent need to rescue the country from the grip of the APC-led government.

He said the proposed coalition was inspired by historical precedents, citing the National Party of Nigeria (NPN)’s accord with the Nigeria Peoples Party (NPP) during the Second Republic as an example of how such alliances can yield positive results without affecting the identity of the major parties involved.

Atiku also briefed the women on the progress of the coalition discussions, stating that the movement was being powered by patriotic Nigerians from all parts of the country who are committed to rebuilding the nation.

Speaking after the meeting, Hajia Ciroma said the BoT women decided to visit Atiku because they were disturbed by the leadership vacuum and deepening crisis within the PDP. She described the meeting as productive and timely, noting that as mothers and conscience of the party, they could not sit back and watch the party disintegrate.

“We are worried that the party has no clear leadership and any organization without leadership cannot stand. We came to express our concerns and to brainstorm with him on the way forward,” Ciroma said.

She added that discussions also touched on party funding and the need to ensure the party is financially stable and independent, stressing that no individual should have excessive control over its operations.

According to her, Atiku reassured them of his loyalty to the PDP and encouraged their support for the coalition initiative, which he described as necessary for the survival of democracy and the future of the country.