Wike Aide Slams Atiku Over PDP Exit Calls Him Party’s Biggest Problem

A media aide to Federal Capital Territory Minister Nyesom Wike has come down hard on former Vice President Atiku Abubakar over his recent resignation from the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP), describing the move as long overdue and blaming Atiku for years of instability within the party.

Lere Olayinka, Wike’s Senior Special Assistant on Media, made these comments during a live interview on Channels Television on Thursday. He criticized Atiku as a repeat defector who had consistently undermined the PDP from within. According to Olayinka, Atiku’s departure should not be seen as a surprise but as a continuation of a pattern that dates back nearly two decades.

He recalled Atiku’s political history, pointing to previous defections from the PDP to other parties like the Action Congress in 2007 and the APC in 2014. Olayinka blamed these moves for weakening the PDP’s national influence, including a campaign loss in Lagos in 2003, which he claimed Atiku helped sabotage while serving as Vice President.

Olayinka also questioned the credibility of those still publicly backing Atiku, taking a swipe at media references to journalist and publisher Dele Momodu as a PDP heavyweight. He dismissed such portrayals as exaggerated, suggesting they reflect the broader confusion within the opposition.

He defended his own principal, Nyesom Wike, who despite working in the APC-led federal government, has remained loyal to the PDP. Olayinka argued that serving in a national role does not automatically translate to party defection, citing examples from Nigeria’s political history.

Atiku, in response through his media aide Phillip Shuaibu, said his resignation was not politically motivated but a moral response to what he sees as a broken opposition party that has failed to stand up to the current administration. Shuaibu insisted that Atiku was no longer willing to be part of a system that enables weak leadership and silence in the face of growing authoritarianism.

Shuaibu also dismissed claims that Atiku’s use of the vice presidential seal was improper, saying such ceremonial references are common practice globally. He addressed concerns about the timing of the resignation, which coincided with national mourning for late President Muhammadu Buhari. He explained that the letter was submitted quietly at the ward level and that Atiku had spent days in Daura to personally mourn the former president.

While speculation continues over Atiku’s plans for the 2027 election, his camp remains tight-lipped. Shuaibu stressed that the priority now is to protect political plurality and prevent the collapse of opposition in the country.

As tensions grow within the PDP, Olayinka declared that the party is better off without Atiku. He warned against allowing him to return in the future, suggesting that any new political coalition he attempts will fall apart like others before it.