Senate Minority Leader, Abba Moro, has pointed fingers at former Vice President Atiku Abubakar over the deepening crisis within the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP), blaming his silence and lack of leadership since the party’s loss in the 2023 presidential election. According to Moro, Atiku’s failure to rally the party and provide direction after the election defeat has worsened internal disunity, leading to recent high-profile defections.
Speaking in an interview with Channels Television, Moro stated that it was Atiku’s responsibility to pull the PDP together, especially as someone with future presidential ambitions. He expressed disappointment that Atiku didn’t act quickly to bring stability after what he described as the party’s poor outing in the 2023 polls.
Moro believes the absence of strong leadership created a vacuum that has encouraged major figures to exit the party. Among them are Delta State Governor Sheriff Oborevwori and his predecessor Ifeanyi Okowa, both of whom recently defected to the All Progressives Congress (APC), effectively collapsing the PDP’s structure in a state it had controlled since 1999. This move shocked many within the party and sparked concerns about PDP’s weakening influence across the country.
Adding to the tension are reports that Atiku himself may be considering leaving the PDP ahead of the 2027 elections. While that decision remains unofficial, it has stirred unease among party loyalists who worry about further instability.
In a bid to address the growing unrest, the PDP’s National Working Committee held an emergency meeting at the party’s headquarters in Abuja on Tuesday. However, critics say that without clear leadership and a strong unifying figure, such efforts may not be enough to reverse the tide.
Moro emphasized that Atiku, as the PDP’s 2023 presidential flagbearer and a key figure in national politics, should have taken the initiative from the outset to rebuild confidence and maintain party cohesion. According to him, if anyone had the authority and responsibility to steady the party after its loss, it was Atiku.
