Atiku asks Nigerians to ignore those leaving PDP and others, says Tinubu’s failure is Nigeria’s real crisis

The Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) presidential candidate in the 2023 election, Atiku Abubakar has asked on Nigerians to ignore those leaving PDP and other parties to the ruling All Progressives Congress (APC), saying they should rather focus on what he described as the “real crisis” – the failing governance of President Bola Ahmed Tinubu’s administration.

On Wednesday, April 23, 2025, Delta governor, Sheriff Oborevwori, Atiku’s running mate in the 2023 election, Ifeanyi Okowa, and many members of the PDP in Delta defected to the All Progressives Congress.

Senator James Manager made the announcement in Asaba, the Delta State capital, shortly after a meeting that lasted over six hours at Government House.

Manager said, “All PDP members in the state, including the governor, former Governor Okowa, the Speaker, the state party chairman, all the local government chairmen and others, have agreed to move to the APC.

“We cannot continue to be in a sinking boat,” he said.

Also, the Senator representing Kano South Senatorial District, Kawu Sumaila, on Wednesday officially confirmed his defection from the NNPP to the ruling APC.

Similarly, a long-serving member of the House of Representatives, Oluwole Oke, announced his resignation from the Peoples Democratic Party.

However, reacting to the development in a statement issued on Friday, Atiku r revealed he has been inundated with inquiries about PDP members joining the ruling APC, but insisted such movements are normal in democracy.

The former vice president explained that while freedom of political association remains fundamental, Nigeria’s democracy faces greater threats from failing governance structures. He defended his recent visit to former President Buhari as part of legitimate political engagements, citing historical precedents of cross-party consultations during critical moments in Nigeria’s democracy.

He accused political opponents of hypocrisy, noting the double standards in how different political engagements are portrayed.

The statement reads; “I have been overwhelmed with inquiries from concerned Nigerians, all eager to understand my position on the latest political shifts, particularly the defection of some PDP members to the ruling party.

“Let me be unequivocal: freedom of association and expression are not optional in a democracy — they are fundamental rights. Alongside these stand the pillars of a just and functional democratic society: the people, the rule of law, credible elections, and accountability. Undermine any of these, and democracy itself begins to crumble.

“As someone who holds fast to these values, I bear no grudges against anyone for exercising their right to political alignment. Defections, alliances, and realignments are part and parcel of democratic politics. We’ve seen them before, and we’ll see them again.

“Some have resorted to insults because I visited former President Muhammadu Buhari. Let’s not rewrite history: Buhari is not only a former leader but a significant statesman in the Nigerian political landscape. During the 2013 opposition merger, the leaders of the time consulted widely — including visits to Obasanjo and Babangida. So why is it now sacrilegious for me and other leaders to visit Buhari in Kaduna? If you truly believe in freedom of association, then you must respect the rights of all political actors to engage, regardless of party lines.

“When PDP leaders are busy sipping tea and brokering power deals with President Tinubu, it’s called strategic alliance. But the moment I greet Peter Obi, el-Rufai, or visit Buhari, it becomes a national emergency. Hypocrisy and the politics of selective outrage have never been this fashionable!

“Let us be clear: the coming political battle is not APC versus PDP, or LP versus APC. It is Nigerians versus an administration that has plunged the nation into untold suffering. The economy is in freefall. Inflation is choking the masses. Jobs are vanishing. Youth restiveness is surging to terrifying levels. Nigerians are not just tired — they are angry, and rightfully so.

“This moment is about collective survival. The real enemy is not one another — it is the Tinubu administration’s abysmal failure. We must reject every attempt to distract us with ethnic, regional, or religious sentiments. These are tools of manipulation, designed to divide and conquer, used by those with nothing else to offer.

“The Tinubu administration has no achievements to stand on, no credible record to defend. Its only strategy is chaos and division, because that’s the last refuge of the incompetent. And make no mistake— an incompetent captain does not only wreck his ship; he endangers the lives of everyone on board. -AA”