A former Minister of Women Affairs and chieftain of the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP), Mrs. Josephine Anenih, has criticised former Vice President Atiku Abubakar for allegedly abandoning the party after his loss in the 2023 presidential election. Anenih, who served as a prominent figure within the PDP, said that Atiku became inactive in party activities and stopped attending meetings long before his official resignation letter surfaced.
She made this known on Thursday during an interview on Channels Television’s Politics Today programme. Her comments followed Atiku’s official resignation from the PDP, which he announced in a letter dated July 14, 2025. The letter was addressed to the Chairman of Jada 1 Ward, located in Jada Local Government Area of Adamawa State, which is Atiku’s political base.
In the resignation letter, the former vice president cited “irreconcilable differences” as his reason for quitting the PDP. He also expressed his disappointment in the direction the party has taken, which he claimed no longer reflects the founding principles upon which the PDP was established in 1998.
Reacting to this, Anenih remarked that Atiku’s resignation did not come as a surprise to many party faithful, as he had distanced himself from the PDP since his defeat in the 2023 general elections where he lost to President Bola Ahmed Tinubu of the All Progressives Congress (APC). She argued that Atiku had, in practical terms, exited the party earlier than his formal resignation date.
“If you ask me, I would say Atiku didn’t exit the party yesterday. He had exited since the last election because, after the election, he may have held a press conference once or so, but that was it,” Anenih stated during the interview.
She further revealed that several attempts were made by PDP stakeholders to reach out to Atiku and encourage his active participation in rebuilding the party. She mentioned that even the women members of the PDP Board of Trustees (BoT) paid him a visit, appealing to him to provide leadership and direction at a time the party was grappling with internal crises.
“We went to him. The women of the BoT went to him. We told him the party is drifting because there is no leadership. We look up to you as our ‘baba,’ as our leader, and we expected you to take action, to be in the forefront, to give us direction,” she said.
Despite Atiku’s official exit, Anenih expressed confidence that the PDP would survive and continue to grow. She pointed out that the party’s strength lies in its deep-rooted grassroots network and committed members who are dedicated to the party’s ideals. She referenced the early days of the PDP’s formation in 1998 when the party succeeded without the involvement of many of the current political bigwigs.
“In 1998, we didn’t have all those people, and those of us who were there, the grassroots people, we managed to put the PDP together, and we won. As Chief Bode George said, anybody can go, anybody can come,” she noted.
Anenih added that loyal party members remain determined to keep the PDP alive. “For those of us who believe in the PDP, we will do our best, and we know that the PDP can never die on our watch. Maybe when we are dead, the PDP can die, but it won’t die before us,” she declared.
Atiku Abubakar, who served as Nigeria’s Vice President from 1999 to 2007 under President Olusegun Obasanjo, has had a long history of changing political parties. He was the PDP’s presidential candidate in 2019 and 2023 but lost on both occasions. His exit marks another chapter in his political journey which has seen him move between PDP, APC, and other parties in the past.
Meanwhile, the PDP has been grappling with leadership issues and internal disagreements since the 2023 elections. The party’s National Working Committee (NWC) led by acting National Chairman, Ambassador Umar Damagum, has been trying to navigate the challenges posed by defections and low morale among members.
Political observers have noted that Atiku’s resignation could have ripple effects within the PDP, especially in Adamawa State where he has considerable influence. However, party leaders such as Chief Bode George and Mrs. Anenih have maintained that the PDP will remain a significant force in Nigeria’s political landscape.
