The Acting National Chairman of the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP), Umar Damagum, isn’t losing sleep over Atiku Abubakar’s resignation from the party. Speaking to journalists in Bauchi on Friday, Damagum made it clear that Atiku’s move is not shaking the foundation of the PDP one bit.
You may recall that Atiku—Nigeria’s former Vice President—officially pulled out of the PDP two days ago, pointing fingers at what he described as the party’s shift away from its original values. Not long after, word started going around that Atiku had teamed up with others in forming a new opposition coalition that has now adopted the African Democratic Congress (ADC).
There’s also speculation that he may be eyeing another presidential run—this time, possibly under the ADC platform.
But Damagum wasn’t fazed. He reminded everyone that this isn’t Atiku’s first time leaving the PDP for another political platform. “It’s consistent with what he’s always done,” Damagum said, noting that the party has weathered this kind of thing before.
In his words, “The PDP is used to this. This won’t be the first time he’s dumping us, and quite frankly, the party will be just fine. In fact, we believe PDP will come out even stronger without him.”
Damagum emphasized that Atiku’s resignation is not a major threat to the PDP’s future. According to him, the party remains focused on rebuilding and staying true to its mission, regardless of who comes or goes.
