PDP lost 2023 Presidential election to Tinubu because Atiku was cocky – Party stalwart
PDP lost 2023 Presidential election to Tinubu because Atiku was cocky – Party stalwart
As the PDP’s internal crisis worsens, former lawmaker and party member Tajudeen Yusuf has directly blamed Alhaji Atiku Abubakar for the party’s 2023 presidential election defeat.
Speaking about the violent disruptions that spoiled the party’s Board of Trustees (BoT) meeting in Abuja on January 29, 2025, Yusuf warned that unless significant changes were made, the PDP would risk making the same mistakes it has in the past.
He claimed that the party’s poor performance in 2023 was due to the overconfidence of its presidential candidate.
Yusuf criticized the pasrty’s leadership for being consumed with internal power struggles and positioning ahead of the 2027 general elections.
He noted that some members were too focused on securing party structures and control to truly reflect on the lessons of 2023.
“We lost the 2023 election because our flagbearer was too cocky and certain of victory. The party’s focus on who’s in charge and who will be the candidate ignores the fact that being a candidate does not guarantee victory,” Yusuf said.
He also pointed out that the PDP was failing in its role as a constructive opposition party, bogged down by members whose personal ambitions overshadowed the party’s broader objectives.
“The PDP has lost its way in opposition politics, consumed by over-ambitious individuals who think their only role is to run for elections,” he added.
Yusuf suggested that the violence during the BoT meeting was a direct result of the party’s internal power struggles, as members jockey for control ahead of the upcoming presidential primaries.
He also admitted that the PDP’s crisis resolution mechanisms have proven ineffective, with the violent outbursts at the meeting reflecting a larger leadership failure within the party.
The former representative of Kabba/Bunu/Ijumu constituency expressed concern that without significant reform, the PDP could remain mired in chaos, undermining its future prospects.
