Atiku’s aide Paul Ibe says the PDP resignation letter was leaked by political opponents.
He blames internal and external forces for releasing it during Buhari’s burial period.
Newskobo.com earlier reported that Atiku Abubakar has left the Peoples Democratic Party, and his future political direction remains unclear.
Paul Ibe, the media adviser to former Vice President Atiku Abubakar, has claimed that Atiku’s resignation letter from the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) was not meant to be released when it was, saying it was leaked by political opponents.
Speaking on Arise News on Wednesday night, Ibe addressed the uproar over the timing of the letter’s emergence, which happened just as the country was mourning the death of former President Muhammadu Buhari, who was buried on Tuesday.
According to Ibe, the letter’s release was orchestrated by individuals both within and outside the PDP who are against Atiku’s political journey. He specifically pointed fingers at elements in the PDP allegedly working with allies from the 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 said.
He also took a swipe at the Minister of Aviation and Aerospace Development, Festus Keyamo, who had commented on the situation. Ibe accused Keyamo of abandoning his core responsibilities in the aviation sector.
“It’s unfortunate that the Minister of Aviation, who rather should be concerned with serious issues of aviation matters and there are plenty of them, like runways and better infrastructure, jumped into this fray as though knowing what caused an accident even before investigation,” he said.
Ibe maintained that the letter’s circulation was not authorized by Atiku and criticized those speculating on the reasons behind the resignation, calling them “clairvoyants.”
“I would rather say we speak on something else and not this particular issue, considering the fact that the nation is still in mourning and the memories of the late President, Muhammadu Buhari, who was just interred yesterday, are still fresh,” he added.
Atiku’s resignation from the PDP was made official in a letter dated July 14, 2025, addressed to the chairman of his ward in Adamawa State. The letter, which was later shared on social media by his media team, cited “irreconcilable differences” and expressed his disappointment with the party’s current direction, which he said no longer aligns with its founding values.
