Atiku’s exit: PDP can’t die, party’ll be stronger before 2027 – Adeoye

Prince Laja Adeoye, a Lagos State Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) chieftain, says the party cannot die with the exit of former Vice President Atiku Abubakar; rather, it will be stronger ahead of the 2027 general elections.

Adeoye, a House of Representatives hopeful in Oshodi-Isolo Federal Constituency, said this in an interview with the News Agency of Nigeria (NAN) on Friday in Lagos.

NAN reports that Abubakar, the PDP presidential candidate in 2019 and 2023, announced his resignation from the party on Wednesday, citing what he called intractable issues within the erstwhile ruling party.

Though the former vice president has not formally announced his defection to the African Democratic Congress (ADC), the coalition of opposition leaders led by him had recently announced the adoption of the party as its platform for the 2027 general elections.

Reacting, Adeoye said that Abubakar’s exit would bring peace and tranquility to the party.

According to him, the untamed presidential ambition of the former vice president had unsettled the party.

“PDP cannot die because one man left the party. As you know, this is not the first time Atiku is exiting the PDP, the party stands, regardless.

“PDP is rebuilding and will be stronger ahead of the 2027 election.

“One thing that is certain is that a lot of people who have joined ADC will return to the PDP sooner or later as PDP gets more formidable.

“Many of them, including Atiku, will see that there is no road in the so-called ADC they are running to,” Adeoye said.

The chieftain, who noted that he was not against the coalition of political parties, said: “But it can only work when PDP, the largest party in Africa, leads it. Anything short of that is a waste of time.”

NAN reports that prominent names such as Peter Obi, Rauf Aregbesola, Nasir El-Rufai, and Rotimi Amaechi, among others, are in the coalition already.

Atiku’s exit: PDP can’t die, party’ll be stronger before 2027 – Adeoye