Ex-PDP Legal Adviser Dismisses Atiku’s Coalition Move, Calls It Political Window Shopping

Jacob Mark, a former legal adviser to the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP), has criticized former Vice President Atiku Abubakar’s involvement in the African Democratic Congress (ADC) coalition, describing it as unserious and politically inconsistent.

Speaking on The Morning Show on Arise Television, Mark labeled Atiku and other PDP members participating in the ADC-led coalition as “political window shoppers” lacking commitment and credibility.

“Anyone who has not formally resigned from their political party but moves from one platform to another in search of a ticket cannot be taken seriously,” Mark said.
“Today it’s SDP, tomorrow ADA, now ADC until Atiku officially leaves the PDP, I won’t consider his moves credible.”

Mark argued that it is unconstitutional and unethical for any individual to simultaneously seek presidential nominations from two political parties.

“You cannot be shopping for a presidential ticket in both the PDP and ADC at the same time. The law doesn’t permit that,” he asserted.

He also recalled Atiku’s history of party defections and described it as the origin of what he termed “political rascality” within the PDP.

“Since 2009, especially in 2011, Atiku and five governors walked out of the PDP convention and aligned with the opposition. They lost, returned to PDP, and faced no consequences. That impunity set the tone for recurring anti-party behavior,” Mark noted.

He added that such conduct has damaged party discipline and allowed a culture of opportunism to flourish in the PDP, where members freely defect and return without accountability.

“People move in and out, collect party tickets, abandon the platform when it no longer serves them, and return as if nothing happened. It’s unacceptable.”

Mark concluded by urging political parties to enforce internal discipline and end the cycle of political opportunism that has weakened party structures in Nigeria.