Atiku Abubakar’s Presidential Ambition Is The Heart and Soul of PDP’s Crisis…

By Naija247news Political Desk

It is no longer news that the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) is in a state of perpetual crisis, and at the very centre of this turmoil sits former Vice President Atiku Abubakar—a man whose presidential ambition has stretched across three decades and six attempts, yet seems to be tearing the party apart more than uniting it.

While Atiku may fancy himself as a statesman and unifier, his actions over the years tell a different story—one of political entitlement, regional imbalance, and a dangerous disregard for party unity.

Let’s be blunt: the roots of PDP’s current implosion were planted in 2022, when Atiku and his inner circle pulled the rug from under Governor Nyesom Wike, denying him the 2023 presidential ticket despite his clear grassroots influence, financial contributions, and years of party loyalty. That betrayal—engineered in the name of so-called “consensus”—fractured the PDP irreparably.

In the aftermath, Atiku compounded the insult by refusing to support a southern running mate from the camp of Governor Wike. Instead, he opted for Delta State Governor Ifeanyi Okowa, a move widely seen as an act of political sabotage. The result? A deeply fractured PDP went into the 2023 election as a house divided—and we all know what happened next. Bola Tinubu clinched the presidency, aided in no small part by the PDP’s internal disunity.

Fast forward to 2025, and the crisis in Rivers State is nothing but a direct consequence of that betrayal. Today, Wike—now the Minister of the Federal Capital Territory (FCT)—finds himself in a bitter political war with his estranged godson, Governor Siminalayi Fubara. The PDP, instead of rising to the occasion, remains largely silent and paralyzed, unable to mediate or offer leadership.

Why? Because Atiku Abubakar—the man many expected to unify the party—has retreated into silence, busy once again plotting a 2027 presidential run, this time under the guise of a multi-party “coalition” with strange bedfellows like Peter Obi and Nasir El-Rufai.

Now let’s ask the hard question: What kind of leader continually leaves destruction in his wake in pursuit of power?

According to PDP BoT member Chief Bode George, Atiku’s insistence on contesting the 2027 ticket would mark “the end of the party.” And he’s not alone. Many party stakeholders believe that zoning, a doctrine enshrined in the PDP’s constitution, should rotate power to the South—not back to the North, where Atiku hails from.

Let’s not forget, this zoning principle was part of the gentleman’s agreement that birthed the PDP in 1998. By repeatedly trampling on this tradition, Atiku has positioned himself not as a loyal party man, but as a political monarchist, blind to party balance and justice.

If PDP is bleeding today, it is not because of APC’s strength—it is because of Atiku’s toxic ambition, Wike’s betrayal, and the dangerous vacuum of leadership now playing out in Rivers State. The power tussle in Port Harcourt is not just a local crisis—it is a national reflection of PDP’s broken soul.

Until the party resolves its identity crisis and returns to fairness, equity, and constitutional zoning, it will continue to hemorrhage support and legitimacy. And as long as Atiku Abubakar insists on being the alpha and omega, the PDP may find itself dead on arrival in 2027.