Former Women Affairs Minister Josephine Anenih claimed on July 17, 2025, that former Vice President Atiku Abubakar effectively left the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) after his 2023 presidential election loss, challenging the narrative of his recent resignation.
Speaking on Channels Television’s Politics Today, Anenih, a PDP stalwart, argued that Atiku’s disengagement began when he held only one conference post-election, signaling a lack of leadership. She noted efforts by the PDP Board of Trustees’ women to re-engage him, citing the party’s drift without direction, but to no avail.
Atiku formally resigned on July 14, 2025, citing irreconcilable differences, a move some see as aligning with the ADC-led opposition coalition for 2027. Anenih’s assertion, supported by party insiders, suggests his exit was gradual, with his absence from key meetings since 2023 fueling internal rifts.
Critics within the PDP, like Festus Keyamo, have accused Atiku of timing his resignation to overshadow Buhari’s mourning, while Anenih insists the party’s resilience, rooted in its 1998 founding, will endure, though the loss of a figurehead like Atiku poses challenges ahead of future polls.