Atiku and other PDP grandees plan defection to ADC, with claims PDP now “a shadow of its old self”
By Jeph Ajobaju, Chief Copy Editor
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“The meeting encourages all well-meaning PDP members and other patriotic Nigerians to join the coalition.
“All coalition partners must be united on the issues of national unity, democracy, national security, national economy, and the political will to stamp out corruption embedded in our institutions.
“The coalition partners are to work out the modalities of winning all elections, taking into consideration local and national peculiarities” – David Mark, after meeting of coalition members.
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Former Vice President Atiku Abubakar and some others among the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) top brass are expected to formally defect to the African Democratic Congress (ADC) soon, according to feelers from the opposition coalition.
Former Kaduna Governor Nasir El-Rufai announced on Tuesday night that former Osun Governor Rauf Aregbesola as interim National Secretary of the ADC that has been adopted by the National Opposition Coalition Group (NOCG).
Aregbesola publicly accepted the offer as posted on X by El-Rufai.
The NOCG failed to register as All Democratic Alliance (ADA) because another political party already registered the name with the Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC).
Both El-Rufai and Aregbesola have resigned their membership of the ruling All Progressives Congress (APC) to join the opposition coalition, some of whose members are still in other parties, like Atiku and Peter Obi of the Labour Party (LP).
El-Rufai also announced the appointment of former Senate President David Mark as ADC interim National Chairman, and with the resignation of Mark from the PDP since June 27 – which news broke on July 1 – it is expected that Atiku and other senior PDP members will resign and officially join the ADC in the coming days.
Sources said Atiku other PDP big wigs, apart from Mark, are expected to defect to the ADC which they have embraced as the vehicle for their coalition, and the plan was perfected at a meeting held by Concerned PDP Elders at Transcorp Hilton in Abuja on Tuesday.
The ADC will be adopted with like-minded politicians in the NOCG, it was learnt.
“We have lost hope of rescuing PDP. We have decided to move to ADC for a national coalition for the 2027 general election,” a source disclosed who spoke anonymously.
“PDP has been hijacked. We have come to realise that a committee, headed by a former President of the Senate, Bukola Saraki, set up to serve as an arbiter, is compromised.
“Attempts to register a new party appear to be a long shot.”
The source explained that the plan to register ADA was thwarted by the “sudden emergence” of another Advanced Democratic Alliance (ADA).
With the two associations sharing the same acronym, the prospects of registration become complex, he stressed, per reporting by The Nation.
It was learnt that the initial move to consider the Social Democratic Party (SDP) by all coalition partners was unsuccessful, despite El-Rufai’s defection to the party.
The source added that “the party was infiltrated and our plans were frustrated. The ADC is now the coalition party, which should be unveiled on Wednesday (today).”
Apart from Atiku, PDP leaders who attended the meeting on Tuesday included:
- Mark, Senator Aminu Tambuwal, Senator Abdul Ningi, former Jigawa Governor Sule Lamido, former Foreign Affairs Minister Tom Ikimi, former Osun Governor Olagunsoye Oyinlola,
- Former Governors Gabriel Suswam (Benue) and Liyel Imoke (Cross River), former PDP National Chairman Uche Secondus, former PDP National Women leader Josephine Anenih, Inna Ciroma,
- Former Governors Celestine Omehia (Rivers) and Babangida Aliyu (Niger), former Presidential Adviser Ben Obi, former Education Minister Sam Egwu, and former PDP spokesman Kola Ologbondiyan.
The meeting was held a day after PDP organs, which hitherto were at loggerheads, met at the party secretariat in Abuja and adopted Samuel Anyawu as National Secretary.
But the appearance of a united PDP on Monday was shattered by the meeting of the “Concerned Leaders” the following day.
These leaders did not attend the Monday meeting at the secretariat.
Mark spells out purpose of opposition coalition
Mark, who read out the communique after the Tuesday meeting of the Concerned Leaders, said the PDP it is now “a shadow of its old self”, and the meeting was organised to discuss the disturbing condition of the party.
He reiterated that since its defeat at the 2023 polls and the exit of Iyorchia Ayu as PDP National Chairman, the party has never been the same again.
Said Mark: “The vision of the founding fathers for which the party was established and the role it played in restoring Nigeria as a stable and united country and a key player on the regional, continental, and global stage has been washed away just as our roles as the leader of the black race is now overtaken by smaller and less endowed countries.
“The meeting encourages all well-meaning PDP members and other patriotic Nigerians to join the coalition.
“All coalition partners must be united on the issues of national unity, democracy, national security, national economy, and the political will to stamp out corruption embedded in our institutions.
“The coalition partners are to work out the modalities of winning all elections, taking into consideration local and national peculiarities.”
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