Oyo State Governor Seyi Makinde has described the departure of former Vice President Atiku Abubakar from the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) as a form of “freedom” for the party, saying it is better than being held back by internal obstacles.
Atiku, who was the PDP’s presidential candidate in the 2023 election, officially resigned from the party in a letter dated July 14, 2025, addressed to the PDP chairman of Jada 1 Ward in Jada Local Government Area of Adamawa State. In the letter, he said the PDP had strayed from its founding vision, describing his decision to leave as painful.
His resignation comes weeks after joining a coalition of opposition figures that adopted the African Democratic Congress (ADC) as their political platform ahead of the 2027 general election.
Reacting to the development during the 10th Coronation Anniversary Colloquium of the Deji of Akure, Oba Aladetoyinbo Ogunlade Aladelusi, held in Akure, Governor Makinde said Atiku’s exit does not diminish the PDP’s strength or prospects.
“Politics is a game of interest, and I don’t think Atiku’s exit will make any dent on the PDP. The PDP is an institution,” Makinde said. “You have the freedom to enter and exit. But I think anyone who would hold PDP down—it’s better for such a person to just leave.”
He dismissed concerns over the rising profile of the ADC, saying it poses no threat to the PDP. “I don’t see ADC as a threat to the PDP. The goal is the same if you’re dissatisfied with the pace and direction of governance. You’re free to associate with any platform,” he noted.
Governor Makinde concluded by emphasizing that political players come and go, but the nation and its institutions will endure: “Governors will come and go, presidents will come and go, but our country and our states will remain.”
