Paul Ibe blames “internal saboteurs” and APC allies for leaking former vice president’s letter of exit, calls for focus on Buhari’s legacy instead
The resignation letter of former Vice President Atiku Abubakar from the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) was not voluntarily released but leaked by his political opponents, his media adviser said late Wednesday.
Speaking in an interview on Arise News, Atiku’s spokesman, Paul Ibe, said the timing of the leak — just a day after former President Muhammadu Buhari’s burial — was an attempt to discredit the former vice president and distract from national mourning.
According to Ibe, the letter, dated July 14, 2025, and submitted to Atiku’s PDP ward chairman in Adamawa State, was circulated by “rogue elements within the PDP working hand-in-hand with members of the ruling All Progressives Congress (APC).”
“We’re here because people who never wished His Excellency Atiku Abubakar well leaked a communication of his. Yes, it was leaked,” Ibe told the network.
He further criticized Minister of Aviation and Aerospace Development Festus Keyamo for weighing in on the matter, accusing him of neglecting more pressing issues in the aviation sector.
“It’s unfortunate that the Minister of Aviation, who should be concerned with serious aviation challenges — and there are plenty — chose instead to jump into this fray,” Ibe said, adding, “He speaks as if he already knows the cause of an accident before any investigation.”
Ibe insisted the leak should not overshadow the nation’s mourning for Buhari.
“Those who claim to know why he resigned — are they clairvoyants? I would rather we focused on something else, considering that the memories of the late President Muhammadu Buhari, who was just interred yesterday, are still fresh,” he said.
In his formal resignation letter, Atiku cited “irreconcilable differences” and expressed disappointment with the PDP’s current trajectory, which he said has strayed from the ideals upon which it was founded.
Atiku’s exit has intensified political speculation about his next moves ahead of the 2027 general elections, though his camp has yet to confirm any new party affiliation.
As reactions to the resignation and its controversial leak continue to ripple through Nigeria’s political landscape, observers are watching closely to see how the PDP navigates yet another high-profile defection and what role Atiku intends to play in the country’s evolving opposition politics.
