Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) chieftain, Mallam Ibrahim Abdullahi, has challenged former Vice President Atiku Abubakar to publicly support Labour Party’s Peter Obi or any other candidate from the emerging coalition, casting doubt on the sincerity behind Atiku’s recent resignation from the PDP.
In a recent interview on Arise TV from 11:52, Abdullahi argued that Atiku’s departure had little to do with ideology. “I dare him to announce tomorrow that he’s supporting Peter Obi or anyone else in that coalition,” he stated, suggesting Atiku remains solely driven by his ambition to become president.
Responding to assertions that the PDP is weakening due to the exit of founding members and alleged collaboration with the APC, Abdullahi dismissed such claims. “If Atiku left because Wike is still in PDP and working with APC, then what about 2006 when he left for ACN or 2015 when he helped Buhari win? Were PDP values eroded then?” he asked.
Abdullahi insisted that Atiku’s justification for leaving was an excuse. “He’s done this before. He finds a pretext every time he doesn’t get the ticket,” he said, accusing the former VP of lacking the humility to groom successors. “It mustn’t be you. Three decades of chasing the presidency and no successor? That’s telling.”
The PDP stalwart also countered speculation that the party is panicking. “We’re not losing sleep. We know what’s at stake. Atiku’s coalition, if it’s just about him, is dead on arrival. He’s not indispensable.”
Though Atiku’s spokesman has denied that his resignation was driven by a 2027 ambition, Abdullahi appeared unconvinced. “We’ll see when we get to that bridge,” he said, underscoring the challenge ahead for any coalition lacking genuine collaboration and clarity of purpose.
