Former Minister of Women Affairs and prominent PDP figure Josephine Anenih has claimed that former Vice President Atiku Abubakar effectively abandoned the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) following his defeat in the 2023 presidential election.
Speaking on Channels Television’s Politics Today on Thursday, July 17, Anenih said Atiku has been largely inactive in party affairs since the election, failing to attend PDP meetings and raising questions about his commitment to the party.
Her remarks came shortly after Atiku officially resigned from the PDP in a letter dated July 14, 2025, addressed to the Chairman of Jada 1 Ward in Adamawa State’s Jada Local Government Area. In the letter, he cited “irreconcilable differences” and expressed disappointment with the party’s current direction, stating it no longer reflects its founding principles.
“If you ask me, I would say he didn’t leave yesterday — he left after the last election,” Anenih said. “Maybe he held a conference once, but that was it. He hasn’t attended any meetings. We’ve even reached out to him.”
She added that even the women of the PDP Board of Trustees had visited Atiku to express concern over the party’s leadership vacuum.
“We told him the party was drifting and that we looked up to him as our ‘baba,’ our leader. We expected him to step forward, provide direction, and be at the forefront,” she said.
Despite Atiku’s exit, Anenih affirmed that the PDP remains strong, highlighting its grassroots foundation and loyal membership.
“In 1998, we didn’t have all these big names. It was grassroots people like us who built the PDP and led it to victory,” she said. “As Chief Bode George said, anybody can go, anybody can come. But those of us who believe in the PDP will give our best.”
She concluded with confidence: “The PDP can never die on our watch. Maybe when we’re gone, but not while we’re still here.”
