Paul Ibe, the media adviser to former Vice President Atiku Abubakar, has disclosed that Atiku’s resignation letter from the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) was leaked by political opponents rather than publicly released by his camp.
Speaking during an interview on Arise News Wednesday night, Ibe addressed the controversy surrounding the timing of Atiku’s departure, which coincided with national mourning for former President Muhammadu Buhari, who was buried on Tuesday.
He alleged that those who leaked the letter were political adversaries—including elements within the PDP and members of the All Progressives Congress (APC)—intent on damaging Atiku’s image.
“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 aim at Minister of Aviation and Aerospace Development, Festus Keyamo, for weighing in on the resignation, accusing him of ignoring critical issues in the aviation sector. “It’s unfortunate that the Minister of Aviation, who should be focused on urgent infrastructure problems like runways, instead jumped into this fray—as though knowing the cause of an accident even before an investigation,” Ibe stated.
Ibe reiterated that Atiku’s exit from the PDP should not distract from the nation’s moment of reflection on Buhari’s passing. “Those who claim to know why he resigned—are they clairvoyant? Let’s talk about something else, especially as the country is still mourning the loss of former President Muhammadu Buhari, who was just buried yesterday,” he added.
Atiku officially resigned from the PDP in a letter dated July 14, 2025, submitted to his local ward chairman in Adamawa State.
In the letter, he cited “irreconcilable differences” and expressed disappointment with the party’s direction, saying it had deviated from its founding ideals.
The letter was later made public by his media team via X.