Paul Ibe, media adviser to former Vice-President Atiku Abubakar, has claimed that his principal’s resignation letter from the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) was leaked by internal saboteurs.
The letter, dated 14 July, surfaced online on Wednesday, sparking political backlash — especially given the ongoing national mourning for former President Muhammadu Buhari.
Festus Keyamo, Nigeria’s Minister of Aviation and Aerospace Development, lashed out at Atiku for the timing of the letter’s release. He criticised the ex-VP for going public during the official mourning period declared by President Bola Tinubu in Buhari’s honour. The former president died on Sunday in London and was buried on Tuesday in Daura, Katsina State.
Keyamo also faulted Atiku for using a letterhead bearing the national coat of arms, arguing that the former vice-president is no longer a serving government official and thus had no business using state insignia.
Responding to the controversy on News Night, a programme aired by Arise Television, Ibe stated that the letter was never intended for public consumption. He blamed “rogue elements” within the PDP, working in collusion with members of the ruling All Progressives Congress (APC), for leaking the letter.
“It’s unfortunate that the minister of aviation, who should be focused on fixing Nigeria’s runways and infrastructure, is commenting on a matter he knows nothing about,” Ibe said. “It’s like blaming someone for a plane crash before the black box is even recovered.”
He insisted that the leak was orchestrated by political actors who “never wished His Excellency Atiku Abubakar well”.
Atiku, who has long expressed interest in returning to the presidency, is now part of an opposition coalition that has adopted the African Democratic Congress (ADC) as its platform for the 2027 general elections.
