Atiku Set to Stage Dramatic PDP Comeback After Convention Shakeup

Amid ongoing uncertainty in Nigeria’s opposition bloc, former Vice President Atiku Abubakar may be on the verge of returning to the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP), pending the outcome of the party’s forthcoming convention. According to IREPORTER ONLINE, this assertion was made by a former National Secretary of the PDP, Ibrahim Tsauri, who believes the convention will ultimately determine the party’s fate and its capacity to reposition ahead of the 2027 elections.

Tsauri, a key figure under the Uche Secondus-led National Working Committee, explained that Atiku’s departure from the PDP was not accompanied by an official alignment with another party, indicating a strategic pause rather than a permanent break. He suggested that many top political figures who recently shifted towards the African Democratic Congress-led coalition may be waiting to see the quality of leadership the PDP produces at the convention scheduled for July 23, 2025.

In his remarks, Tsauri emphasized that if the convention successfully elects credible leaders, the PDP could regain its footing and witness a return of influential defectors, Atiku included. According to IREPORTER ONLINE, this possibility is particularly relevant given that Atiku has maintained a technically neutral stance since resigning, leaving the door open for reconciliation.

Tsauri also addressed counter-narratives within the party, notably a veiled response to statements reportedly made by Governor Seyi Makinde of Oyo State, who downplayed the significance of Atiku’s departure. Tsauri insisted that dismissing Atiku’s value to the PDP is short-sighted, noting that the former Vice President had long served as the public face of the party and that his exit represents both a setback and a missed opportunity for cohesion.

He further urged party members to channel their energies into ensuring the success of the upcoming convention, stressing that the calibre of leadership to emerge from the process would largely influence the decisions of those who left. According to IREPORTER ONLINE, several leaders had only “stepped aside” and are monitoring the internal political climate within the PDP before deciding whether to re-engage fully.

As the PDP navigates this critical juncture, the outcome of the July convention is widely seen as a potential turning point—not just for the party’s survival but also for the broader dynamics of Nigeria’s political realignment ahead of the 2027 polls.