Prince Laja Adeoye, a chieftain of the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) in Lagos State, has declared that the party will not disintegrate following the exit of former Vice President Atiku Abubakar.
Instead, he expressed confidence that the PDP will emerge stronger ahead of the 2027 general elections.
Adeoye, who is also a House of Representatives aspirant for the Oshodi-Isolo Federal Constituency, made this known during an interview with the News Agency of Nigeria (NAN) on Friday in Lagos.
NAN earlier reported that Atiku, who was the PDP’s presidential candidate in the 2019 and 2023 elections, announced his departure from the party on Wednesday, citing ongoing unresolved issues within the opposition party.
Although Atiku has not officially joined the African Democratic Congress (ADC), he and other opposition leaders recently declared the ADC as their new political platform for the 2027 elections.
Reacting to Atiku’s departure, Adeoye said the move would bring much-needed peace and stability to the PDP, claiming that Atiku’s persistent presidential ambition had long caused internal strife.
“The PDP will not collapse just because one person has left. This isn’t the first time Atiku is leaving the party, and PDP has always survived. The party remains intact,” Adeoye said.
He added, “The PDP is undergoing a rebuilding process and will be much stronger as we approach 2027. Many of those who have defected to ADC, including Atiku, will eventually return when they realise there’s no viable future there.”
While supporting political coalitions, Adeoye emphasized that any effective alliance must be led by the PDP, which he described as the largest political party in Africa.
“Anything short of PDP leading the coalition is simply a waste of time,” he stated.
NAN also reports that several high-profile politicians, including Peter Obi, Rauf Aregbesola, Nasir El-Rufai, and Rotimi Amaechi, have already aligned themselves with the opposition coalition.
(NAN)
