BY BEN OGBEMUDIA

Former House of Representatives member, Tajudeen Yusuf, has claimed that former Vice President Atiku Abubakar is no longer aligned with the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP).

Speaking on Channels Television’s Politics Today, Yusuf said Atiku, the PDP’s 2023 presidential candidate is now deeply involved in coalition talks with other political actors.

“Atiku is out of the PDP; he’s part of a broader coalition with many stakeholders,” Yusuf stated.

Yusuf, a close ally of FCT Minister Nyesom Wike, urged the PDP to stop hinging its survival on individual personalities if it wishes to regain political strength.

He criticised the PDP’s decision to zone its 2023 presidential ticket to the North and blamed Atiku for the party’s electoral loss.

“Atiku mishandled the alliance with Peter Obi. Had Obi remained in the PDP and run as his vice-presidential candidate, they would have won. Obi embodied the South’s yearning for change.”

Yusuf also commented on Ifeanyi Okowa’s defection to the APC, calling it a symptom of the deep-seated discontent triggered by the PDP’s flawed 2023 strategy.