Former Minister of Aviation, Osita Chidoka, has announced his resignation from the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP), citing his desire to focus on political reform efforts through his non-partisan organization, the Athena Centre for Policy and Leadership.
Chidoka, who also served as the Corps Marshal of the Federal Road Safety Corps (FRSC), made the announcement on Friday during an interview on Channels Television’s Politics Today.
He explained that his decision to leave politics temporarily was driven by his commitment to working on governance reform and advocating for evidence-based leadership.
“I officially resigned from the PDP today, submitting my letter to my ward in Anambra State. I am stepping away from politics for now to devote my full attention to the Athena Centre. The Centre’s mission is to work alongside Nigerians who are dedicated to reforming the political system and supporting a more transparent and accountable government.”
In his resignation letter, Chidoka expressed gratitude to the PDP for the opportunities it provided, including his appointments as FRSC Corps Marshal and a senior minister.
He acknowledged the party’s role in his public service career but emphasized that his current focus requires him to take a neutral position free from partisan involvement.
The Athena Centre, which Chidoka founded, has been actively involved in reviewing and analyzing the state of Nigeria’s political landscape.
The Centre recently conducted an evaluation of the 2023 Edo State governorship election, which saw APC candidate Monday Okpebholo declared the winner over PDP’s Asue Ighodalo.
Chidoka’s analysis, presented by the Athena Centre, strongly criticized the election process.
He claimed there was substantial evidence of electoral malpractice, including systemic rigging, overvoting, and discrepancies in voter accreditation.
The Centre pointed to instances of manipulation at ward collation centers and alleged failures in the transmission of BVAS accreditation records to the INEC Result Viewing Portal (IReV).
He further alleged that 153 polling units did not report any results, raising questions about the integrity of the election.
Chidoka argued that the Edo election could not be considered credible due to these irregularities, warning that unless such issues were addressed, future elections, including the 2027 polls, would face a crisis of legitimacy.
