‘I’m leaving politics for a while,’ Ex-Aviation Minister, Osita Chidoka resigns PDP membership

A former Minister of Aviation, Osita Chidoka, has resigned from the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP).

Chidoka announced his resignation from the opposition party on Friday when he featured on Politics Today, a programme on Channels Television.

The former minister said he has written to his ward in Anambra state about his decision.

Chidoka said he would dedicate his time to the Athena Centre, a non-profit organisation (NGO) committed to enhancing public policy and leadership across Nigeria.

“I am leaving politics for some time. I am focusing on the Athena Centre,” Chidoka said.

“I will work in concert with other Nigerians who want us to reform the political system to bring evidence-based governance and to support it. So, effective today, I am no longer a member of the Peoples Democratic Party.”

In August 2023, Chidoka said the PDP could become extinct if reforms did not kick in quickly.

“Now, we are beginning to see that PDP itself needs to be reformed,” he said.

“It needs to renew and reimagine itself to be able to begin to play the role of opposition, knowing full well that we have a politician as president.

“If PDP doesn’t get its act together, it will be an extinct party.”

Chidoka served as the minister of aviation between 2014 and 2015 under the administration of former President Goodluck Jonathan.

He was the corps marshal of the Federal Road Safety Corps (FRSC) from 2007 to 2014 during the government of ex-President Olusegun Obasanjo.

In his resignation letter to the party sighted by TheCable, the former minister said he remains committed to good governance, national unity and honest public service.

“As I step away from active partisan politics, I remain committed to good governance, national unity, and evidence-based and honest public service. I look forward to a future where I can once again contribute directly to the political landscape, aligned with the values I hold dear,” the letter reads.

“I leave the PDP with immense respect and gratitude and wish the party every success as it continues to reposition itself as a force for positive change in Nigeria.

“I conclude with my lifelong mantra: our national aspiration of building a nation where no man is oppressed will be realised sooner rather than later. I remain hopeful of a renascent

“Nigeria guided by the spirit of Naija—that shared space where ethnicity and religion do not impede our collective aspirations for a great nation.

“Thank you for your understanding and for the support I have received from you and the ward members over the years.”