Atiku’s Presidential Ambition Fueling PDP’s Internal Crisis, Says Group

MONDAY April 28, 2025 |
By thenewsdesk.ng

The Good Governance Group, a PDP pressure group, has attributed the ongoing internal crisis within the party to the ambition of former Vice President Atiku Abubakar to secure the presidency at every election cycle.

The group expressed concerns that this persistent focus on personal aspirations has fostered divisions and undermined party unity.

Speaking at a briefing on Monday, April 28, in Abuja, Hon. Chidubem Ikenna, Director of Media for the group, responded to recent comments made by Mohammed Atiku, the former Vice President’s son, who alleged that Bauchi State Governor, Bala Mohammed, did not support his father during the 2019 and 2023 presidential elections.

Ikenna stated, “Greater emphasis on building consensus, rather than confronting perceived opponents, might have prevented the current wave of defensive rhetoric against those who once offered their support.

“Governor Bala Mohammed, now subjected to open criticism, stood firmly with Atiku in 2019, seeking neither reward nor favour — only mutual respect and fairness.

“It is essential for all members of the party to recognise that no individual — regardless of wealth, experience, or influence — is greater than the party itself. The PDP is not a family enterprise, nor a retirement plan. It is a national platform, built on collective sacrifice, intended to advance the interests of all Nigerians — not to serve as a vehicle for personal ambition or the preservation of private legacies.

“Against this backdrop, we pose several important questions: In 2923, who compromised the PDP’s zoning arrangements for personal advantage? Who leveraged the party’s platform to engage with opposing forces while maintaining a façade of unity? Who allowed a presidential campaign to devolve into a personal affair, sidelining the broader interests of the party? Who placed trust in misleading assurances from certain individuals within the Villa, believing that victory was guaranteed? And, ultimately, whose approach contributed to avoidable electoral setbacks, including the withdrawal of key governors from Rivers, Oyo, Abia, Enugu, and Benue states in 2023?

“The time has come for honest reflection and a renewed commitment to the founding principles of the PDP — unity, fairness, and collective progress over individual ambition.”