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Wikipedia

Atiku Abubakar

Atiku Abubakar (listen) GCON (born 25 November 1946) is a Nigerian politician and businessman who served as the vice president of Nigeria from 1999 to 2007 during the presidency of Olusegun Obasanjo.[1][2][3] He ran as governor of Adamawa State in 1990, 1996 and later, in 1998, being elected before becoming Olusegun Obasanjo's running mate during the 1999 presidential election and re-elected in 2003.[4]

Atiku Abubakar
11th Vice President of Nigeria
In office
29 May 1999 – 29 May 2007
PresidentOlusegun Obasanjo
Preceded byMike Akhigbe
Succeeded byGoodluck Jonathan
Personal details
Born (1946-11-25) 25 November 1946 (age 76)
Jada, British Cameroon (now Jada, Adamawa State, Nigeria)
NationalityNigerian
Political partyPeople's Democratic Party (1998–2006; 2007–2014; 2017–present)
Other political
affiliations
Spouses6
(m. 1971)
Ladi Yakubu
(m. 1979, divorced)
Princess Rukaiyatu Mustafa
(m. 1983)
Fatima Shettima
(m. 1986)
Jennifer Iwenjiora Douglas
(div. 2021)
Children28
Education Master of Arts degree in International Relations
Alma mater
WebsiteOfficial website

Atiku Abubakar has unsuccessfully contested five times for the Office of President of Nigeria in 1993, 2007, 2011, 2015 and 2019. In 1993, he contested the Social Democratic Party presidential primaries losing to Moshood Abiola and Baba Gana Kingibe. He was a presidential candidate of the Action Congress in the 2007 presidential election coming in third to Umaru Yar'Adua of the PDP and Muhammadu Buhari of the ANPP. He contested the presidential primaries of the People's Democratic Party during the 2011 presidential election losing out to incumbent President Goodluck Jonathan.[5] In 2014, he joined the All Progressives Congress ahead of the 2015 presidential election and contested the presidential primaries losing to Muhammadu Buhari. In 2017, he returned to the Peoples Democratic Party and was the party presidential candidate during the 2019 presidential election, again losing to incumbent President Muhammadu Buhari.[6][7]

In May 2022, he was chosen as the Peoples Democratic Party presidential candidate for the 2023 general election after he defeated Nyesom Wike who is the current Governor of Rivers State in the primaries.[8][9][10]

Background

Family

Atiku Abubakar was born on 25 November 1946 in Jada,[11] a village which was then under the administration of the British Cameroons – the territory later joined with the Federation of Nigeria in the 1961 British Cameroons referendum. His father, Garba Abubakar was a Fulani trader and farmer, and his mother was Aisha Kande. He was named after his paternal grandfather Atiku Abdulqadir who hails from Wurno, Sokoto State and migrated to Kojoli village at Jada, Adamawa State, his maternal grandfather called Inuwa Dutse migrated to Jada, Adamawa State from Dutse, Jigawa State he became the only child of his parents when his only sister died at infancy.[12] In 1957, his father died by drowning while crossing a river to Toungo, a neighbouring village to Jada.[12]

Education

His father was opposed to the idea of Western education and tried to keep Atiku Abubakar out of the traditional school system. When the government discovered that Abubakar was not attending mandatory schooling, his father spent a few days in jail until Aisha Kande's mother paid the fine. At the age of eight, Abubakar enrolled in the Jada Primary School, Adamawa. After completing his primary school education in 1960, he was admitted into Adamawa Provincial Secondary School in the same year, alongside 59 other students. He graduated from secondary school in 1965 after he made grade three in the West African Senior School Certificate Examination.[13]

Following secondary school, Abubakar studied a short while at the Nigeria Police College in Kaduna. He left the College when he was unable to present an O-Level Mathematics result, and worked briefly as a Tax Officer in the Regional Ministry of Finance, from where he gained admission to the School of Hygiene in Kano in 1966. He graduated with a Diploma in 1967, having served as Interim Student Union President at the school. In 1967 he enrolled for a Law Diploma at the Ahmadu Bello University Institute of Administration, on a scholarship from the regional government. After graduation in 1969, during the Nigerian Civil War, he was employed by the Nigeria Customs Service.[14]

In 2021, Abubakar successfully completed and passed his Master's degree in International Relations at Anglia Ruskin University, Cambridge, United Kingdom.[15]

Marriages and personal life

Abubakar has four wives and twenty eight children.[16] Atiku explains: "I wanted to expand the Abubakar family. I felt extremely lonely as a child. I had no brother and no sister. I did not want my children to be as lonely as I was. This is why I married more than one wife. My wives are my sisters, my friends, and my advisers and they complement one another."[17]

In 1971, he secretly married Titilayo Albert, in Lagos, because her family was initially opposed to the union. His children from her include: Fatima, Adamu, Halima and Aminu. In 1979, he married Ladi Yakubu as his second wife. He has six children with Ladi: Abba, Atiku, Zainab, Ummi-Hauwa, Maryam and Rukaiyatu. Abubakar later divorced Ladi, allowing him to marry, as his fourth wife (the maximum permitted him as a Muslim), Jennifer Iwenjiora Douglas.[18] In 1983, he married his third wife, Princess Rukaiyatu, daughter of the Lamido of Adamawa, Aliyu Mustafa. The children from her are: Aisha, Hadiza, Aliyu (named after her late father), Asmau, Mustafa, Laila and Abdulsalam. In 1986, he married his fourth wife, Fatima Shettima. Her children include: Amina (Meena), Mohammed and the twins Ahmed / Shehu, the twins Zainab / Aisha, and Hafsat.[citation needed]

On Tuesday, 1 February 2022, Jennifer Douglas confirmed her divorce to Abubakar in a statement. According to her, their union broke down due to disagreements over her continued stay in the United Kingdom, amongst other long-standing issues.[citation needed]

Business career

Customs

Abubakar worked in the Nigeria Customs Service for twenty years, rising to become the Deputy Director, as the second highest position in the Service was then known; he retired in April 1989 and took up full-time business and politics. He started out in the real estate business during his early days as a Customs Officer.[19]

Real estate

In 1974, he applied for and received a 31,000 naira loan to build his first house in Yola, which he put up for rent. From proceeds of the rent, he purchased another plot and built a second house. He continued this way, building a sizeable portfolio of property in Yola, Nigeria.[20] In 1981, he moved into agriculture, acquiring 2,500 hectares of land near Yola to start a maize and cotton farm. The business fell on hard times and closed in 1986. "My first foray into agriculture, in the 1980s, ended in failure," he wrote in an April 2014 blog.[21] He then ventured into trading, buying and selling truckloads of rice, flour and sugar.[citation needed]

Transportation

Abubakar's most important business move came while he was a Customs Officer at the Apapa Ports. Gabrielle Volpi, an Italian businessman in Nigeria, invited him to set up Nigeria Container Services (NICOTES), a logistics company operating within the Ports. NICOTES would later go on to become Intels Nigeria Limited and provide immense wealth to Abubakar. Abubakar is a co-founder of Intels Nigeria Limited, an oil servicing business with extensive operations in Nigeria and abroad.[22] Atiku's other business interests are centred within Yola, Adamawa; and include the Adama Beverages Limited, a beverage manufacturing plant in Yola, an animal feed factory, and the American University of Nigeria (AUN), the first American-style private university to be established in Sub-Saharan Africa. He retired in April 1989 and took up full-time business and politics.[citation needed]

Involvement in business

Conflict of interest accusations has since trailed him on account of his involvement in business while a civil servant, who exercised supervisory authority. On his part, Abubakar has defended the decision, saying his involvement was limited to the ownership of shares (which government rules permitted), and that he was not involved in the day-to-day running of the business. His company NICOTES would later be rebranded into INTELS and would later go on to feature prominently in accusations of money laundering levelled against n Abubakar by the U.S. government during his vice presidency.[23]

Early political career

 
Atiku Abubakar in 1990s

Abubakar's first foray into politics was in the early 1980s, when he worked behind-the-scenes on the governorship campaign of Bamanga Tukur, who at that time was managing director of the Nigeria Ports Authority. He canvassed for votes on behalf of Tukur, and also donated to the campaign.[citation needed]

Towards the end of his Customs career, he met General Shehu Musa Yar'Adua, who had been second-in-command Chief of Staff, Supreme Headquarters between 1976 and 1979. Abubakar was drawn by Yar'Adua into the political meetings that were now happening regularly in Yar'Adua's Lagos home, which gave rise to the People's Front of Nigeria. The People's Front included politicians such as Umaru Musa Yar'Adua, Baba Gana Kingibe, Bola Tinubu, Sabo Bakin Zuwo, Rabiu Kwankwaso, Abdullahi Aliyu Sumaila and Abubakar Koko.[citation needed]

In 1989, Abubakar was elected the National Vice-Chairman of the Peoples Front of Nigeria in the build-up to the Third Nigerian Republic. Abubakar won a seat to represent his constituency at the 1989 Constituent Assembly, set up to decide a new constitution for Nigeria. The People's Front was eventually denied registration by the military government (none of the groups that applied was registered), and merged with the government-created Social Democratic Party (SDP).[24]

On 1 September 1990, Abubakar announced his Gongola State gubernatorial bid. A year later, before the elections could hold, Gongola State was broken up into two – Adamawa and Taraba States – by the Federal Government. Abubakar fell into the new Adamawa State. After the contest he won the SDP Primaries in November 1991, but was soon disqualified by the government from contesting the elections.[24]

In 1993, Abubakar contested the SDP presidential primaries. The results after the first ballot of the primaries held in Jos was: Moshood Abiola with 3,617 votes, Baba Gana Kingibe with 3,255 votes and Abubakar with 2,066 votes. Abubakar and Kingibe considered joining forces combining 5,231 votes to challenge Abiola. However, after Shehu Yar'Adua asked Atiku Abubakar to withdraw from the campaign, with Abiola promising to make him his running mate. Abiola was later pressured by SDP governors to select Kinigbe as his Vice-presidential running mate, in the June 12 presidential election.[25]

After the 12 June and during the General Sani Abacha transition, Abubakar he showed interest to contest for the Gubnetorial seat of Adamawa State under the United Nigeria Congress Party, the transition program came to an end with the death of General Abacha. In 1998, Abubakar joined the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) and later secured nomination for Governor of Adamawa State, winning the December 1998 governorship elections, but before he could be sworn in he accepted a position as the running mate to the PDP presidential candidate, former military head of state General Olusegun Obasanjo who went on to win the 1999 presidential election ushering in the Fourth Nigerian Republic.[26]

Vice President of Nigeria

First term

 
Seal of the Vice-President.

On 29 May 1999, Abubakar was sworn in as Vice President of Nigeria. His first term was mainly characterized by his role as Chairman of the National Economic Council and head of the National Council on Privatization, overseeing the sale of hundreds of loss-making and poorly managed public enterprises alongside Nasir El Rufai.[citation needed]

Second term

Abubakar's second term as vice president was marked by a stormy relationship with President Obasanjo.[27] In 2006, Abubakar was involved in a bitter public battle with his boss, President Olusegun Obasanjo, ostensibly arising from the latter's bid to amend certain provisions of the constitution to take another shot at the presidency (Third Term Agenda).[28]

Third term agenda

The controversy generated by the failed constitutional amendment momentarily caused a rift in the People's Democratic Party. The National Assembly eventually vetoed the amendments allowing Obasanjo to run for another term. In 2006, Abubakar fell out with his boss Olusegun Obasanjo and left from the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) to the Action Congress of Nigeria (ACN) in preparation for the 2007 elections.[29]

In a November 2013 interview, regarding Obasanjo's alleged attempts to justify his third term bid, Abubakar is quoted as saying: "[He] informed me that 'I left power twenty years ago, I left Mubarak in office, I left Mugabe in office, I left Eyadema in office, I left Umar Bongo, and even Paul Biya and I came back and they are still in power; and I just did eight years and you are asking me to go; why?' And I responded to him by telling him that Nigeria is not Libya, not Egypt, not Cameroun, and not Togo; I said you must leave; even if it means both of us lose out, but you cannot stay."[30] On 30 March 2014, Nigerian media reported that a delegation from the Northern Youth Leaders Forum visited Obasanjo at his home in Abeokuta and pleaded with him to "forgive your former vice-president, Alhaji Atiku Abubakar of whatever political sin or offence he might have committed against you." In response, Obasanjo is quoted as saying that "as a leader and father, I bear no grudge against anybody and if there is, I have forgiven them all."[31]

Presidential election of 2007

On 25 November 2006 Abubakar announced that he would run for president. On 20 December 2006, he was chosen as the presidential candidate of the Action Congress (AC).[32] On 14 March 2007, the Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC) released the final list of 24 aspirants for 21 April presidential election. Abubakar's name was missing from the ballot. INEC issued a statement stating that Abubakar's name was missing because he was on a list of persons indicted for corruption by a panel set up by the government.[33] Abubakar headed to the courts on 16 March to have his disqualification overturned. The Supreme Court unanimously ruled on 16 April that INEC had no power to disqualify candidates.[34] The ruling allowed Abubakar to contest the election, although there were concerns that it might not be possible to provide ballots with Abubakar's name by 21 April, the date of the election. On 17 April, a spokesman for INEC said that Abubakar would be on the ballot. According to official results, Abubakar took third place, behind PDP candidate Umaru Yar'Adua and ANPP candidate Muhammadu Buhari, with approximately 7% of the vote (2.6 million votes). Abubakar rejected the election results and called for its cancellation, describing it as Nigeria's "worst election ever."[35] He stated that he would not attend Umaru Yar'Adua's inauguration on 29 May due to his view that the election was not credible, saying that he did not want to "dignify such a hollow ritual with my presence".[36]

Post–vice presidency

 
Official Atiku Abubakar portrait for 2011 Nigeria election.

Return to the PDP

Following the 2007 elections, Abubakar returned to the People's Democratic Party. In October 2010 he announced his intention to contest for the Presidency. On 22 November, a Committee of Northern Elders selected him as the Northern Consensus Candidate, over former Military President Ibrahim Babangida, former National Security Adviser Aliyu Gusau and Governor Bukola Saraki of Kwara State.[37] In January 2011, Abubakar contested for the Presidential ticket of his party alongside President Jonathan and Sarah Jubril, and lost the primary, garnering 805 votes to President Jonathan's 2736.[38]

In August 2013, the Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC) registered two new political parties. One of them was the Peoples Democratic Movement. Local media reports suggested that the party was formed by Abubakar as a back-up plan in case he was unable to fulfil his rumoured presidential ambitions on the PDP platform.[39] In a statement Abubakar acknowledged that the PDM was founded by his "political associates", but that he remained a member of the PDP.[40] Atiku Abubakar emerged as the presidential candidate of the Peoples Democratic Party for 2023 election after he defeated 12 other candidates in a keenly contested presidential primary held at the Moshood Abiola Stadium in Abuja on 28 May 2022.[41] Of the 767 accredited ballots at the election, he polled 371 votes while his closest challenger, Governor of Rivers State, Nyesom Wike, came second with 237 votes. Nigeria's former Senate President, Bukola Saraki, scored 70 votes to come a distant third while Governor of Akwa Ibom, Udom Emmanuel, came fourth with 38 votes.[42]

All Progressives Congress

 
Abubakar with Muhammadu Buhari.

On 2 February 2014, Abubakar once again left the Peoples Democratic Party and became a founding member All Progressives Congress,[43] with the ambition of contesting for the presidency ahead of the 2015 presidential election.[44] The results of the APC presidential primaries results held in Lagos was: Muhammadu Buhari with 3,430 votes, Rabiu Kwankwaso with 974 votes, Atiku Abubakar with 954 votes, Rochas Okorocha with 400 votes and Sam Nda-Isiah with 10 votes. On Friday, 24 November 2017, Abubakar announced his exit from the All Progressives Congress (APC), and returned to the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) on 3 December 2017.[45] He said he decided to 'return home' to the PDP now that the issues which made him leave the party had been resolved.[46]

2019 presidential campaign

In 2018, Abubakar began his presidential campaign and secured the party nomination of the PDP in the presidential primaries held in Port Harcourt on 7 October 2018. He defeated all the other aspirants and got 1,532 votes, 839 more than the runner-up, the Governor of Sokoto State Aminu Tambuwal. Atiku Abubakar continued his campaign rally in Kogi State as he promised to complete abandoned projects in the state.[47] On 30 January, he participated in the town hall meeting tagged #NGTheCandidate. And in the meeting, he declared that he will grant amnesty to looters [48] and he vowed to privatize 90% of NNPC, Nigeria's primary source of income.[49] Atiku took his campaigns to Katsina, visit Emir of Daura on 7 February 2019[50] On 27 February 2019, Atiku lost the presidential election to incumbent President Muhammadu Buhari by over 3 million votes.[51] The appealed at the Supreme Court and described the election as the "worst in Nigeria's democratic history."[52]

Ideology and public image

Federalism

Abubakar launched the True Federalism campaign in 2017. He has been delivering speeches all over the country inspiring Nigerians on the need to restructure the country. He has been receiving massive endorsement for his stand on True Federalism.[citation needed]

He recently declared at an event where he was conferred the award Hero Of Democracy by Hall of Grace Magazine.[citation needed]

"Political decentralization will also help to deepen and strengthen our democracy as it will encourage more accountability. Citizens are more likely to demand accountability when governments spend their tax money rather than rent collected from an impersonal source."[citation needed]

He also said: "True Federalism will encourage states to compete, to attract investments and skilled workers rather than merely waiting for monthly revenue allocation from Abuja"[citation needed]

Many of his speeches have caused positive stir nationwide as Nigerians are supporting the idea of True Federalism which involves allowing states to have control over their resources most especially the South-South and South East of Nigeria.[53]

Education

In his speeches and commentary, Abubakar is a vocal advocate of the importance of Nigeria's educational system. He is also the founder of the American University of Nigeria (AUN) in Yola, Adamawa. It was founded in Yola, the capital of Adamawa State as American University of Nigeria (AUN) by Abubakar in 2005. He has said that having benefited from the U.S. system of instruction as a young man, he was eager to make available in Nigeria an American styled faculty – emphasizing critical thinking, small classes, student participation, problem-solving. AUN has received special recognition from Google.[citation needed]

In August 2014, Abubakar said in a statement:[54]

″Our country's educational institutions are clearly not providing quality learning. Our teachers need to be taught. This situation is a new development—of the past 10 years or so. The steady decline of education in Nigeria is a reflection of our country's relegation of education to the background of national essentialities. That is where the change must begin. Teachers are important—as important as senators and doctors. Indeed, teachers determine the quality of senators and doctors. And so, the entire country stands to suffer the effects of this neglect in future. Nigeria must once again make education a priority. We must return to the basics.″[55]

In a bid to alleviate the educational decadence in the North East, Abubakar issued scholarships to 15 escapees of the Chibok schoolgirls kidnapping.[56]

Corruption

Atiku was implicated in an international bribery scandal along with William Jefferson and one of Atiku's wives, Jennifer Atiku Abubakar.[57][58] Following rumours by pundits that Atiku was unable to visit the United States, in January 2017, the U.S. government released a statement saying it would need the consent of the politician before it can disclose the true state of his immigration status to the United States.[59] Abubakar has publicly claimed that the true reason is that his visa is still being processed,.[60] However, In recent times, Atiku in company with Bukola Saraki, visited the United States 17 January 2019 with the aid of Brian Ballard.[61][62]

Titles and honours

Traditional titles

In 1982, Abubakar was given the chieftaincy title of the Turaki of Adamawa by his future father-in-law, Adamawa's traditional ruler Alhaji Aliyu Mustafa. The title had previously been reserved for the monarch's favourite prince in the palace, as the holder is in charge of the monarch's domestic affairs. In June 2017, Abubakar was giving the chieftaincy title of the Waziri of Adamawa, and his previous title of Turaki was transferred to his son Aliyu.[citation needed]

International honours

In 2011, while celebrating the 50th anniversary of the US Peace Corps in 2011, the National Peace Corps Association (NPCA) – an independent 501 (c) (3) nonprofit organisation, separate from the Peace Corps, that serves as an alumni association for Returned Peace Corps Volunteers – honoured Abubakar with the Harris Wofford Global Citizen Award. At the presentation of the award, the National Peace Corps Association described Abubakar as one individual who contributed to the development of higher education on the continent of Africa. "No private businessman in Africa has worked harder for democracy or contributed more to the progress of higher education than Atiku Abubakar," the NPCA said. This was after, in 2012, when Abubakar donated $750,000 to the National Peace Corps Association in the United States, "to fund a new initiative featuring global leaders who will discuss Peace Corps's impact." It was the largest ever individual donation in the Association's history.[63]

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External links

  • Official website  
Party political offices
New political party PDP nominee for Vice President of Nigeria
1999, 2003
Succeeded by
ACN nominee for President of Nigeria
2007
Succeeded by
Preceded by PDP nominee for President of Nigeria
2019, 2023
Most recent
Political offices
Preceded by Vice President of Nigeria
1999–2007
Succeeded by

atiku, abubakar, listen, gcon, born, november, 1946, nigerian, politician, businessman, served, vice, president, nigeria, from, 1999, 2007, during, presidency, olusegun, obasanjo, governor, adamawa, state, 1990, 1996, later, 1998, being, elected, before, becom. Atiku Abubakar listen GCON born 25 November 1946 is a Nigerian politician and businessman who served as the vice president of Nigeria from 1999 to 2007 during the presidency of Olusegun Obasanjo 1 2 3 He ran as governor of Adamawa State in 1990 1996 and later in 1998 being elected before becoming Olusegun Obasanjo s running mate during the 1999 presidential election and re elected in 2003 4 Atiku AbubakarGCON11th Vice President of NigeriaIn office 29 May 1999 29 May 2007PresidentOlusegun ObasanjoPreceded byMike AkhigbeSucceeded byGoodluck JonathanPersonal detailsBorn 1946 11 25 25 November 1946 age 76 Jada British Cameroon now Jada Adamawa State Nigeria NationalityNigerianPolitical partyPeople s Democratic Party 1998 2006 2007 2014 2017 present Other politicalaffiliationsPeoples Front of Nigeria 1989 Social Democratic Party 1989 1993 United Nigeria Congress Party 1997 1998 Action Congress 2006 2007 All Progressives Congress 2014 2017 Spouses6Titilayo Albert m 1971 wbr Ladi Yakubu m 1979 divorced wbr Princess Rukaiyatu Mustafa m 1983 wbr Fatima Shettima m 1986 wbr Jennifer Iwenjiora Douglas div 2021 wbr Children28EducationMaster of Arts degree in International RelationsAlma materAhmadu Bello UniversityAnglia Ruskin UniversityWebsiteOfficial websiteAtiku Abubakar has unsuccessfully contested five times for the Office of President of Nigeria in 1993 2007 2011 2015 and 2019 In 1993 he contested the Social Democratic Party presidential primaries losing to Moshood Abiola and Baba Gana Kingibe He was a presidential candidate of the Action Congress in the 2007 presidential election coming in third to Umaru Yar Adua of the PDP and Muhammadu Buhari of the ANPP He contested the presidential primaries of the People s Democratic Party during the 2011 presidential election losing out to incumbent President Goodluck Jonathan 5 In 2014 he joined the All Progressives Congress ahead of the 2015 presidential election and contested the presidential primaries losing to Muhammadu Buhari In 2017 he returned to the Peoples Democratic Party and was the party presidential candidate during the 2019 presidential election again losing to incumbent President Muhammadu Buhari 6 7 In May 2022 he was chosen as the Peoples Democratic Party presidential candidate for the 2023 general election after he defeated Nyesom Wike who is the current Governor of Rivers State in the primaries 8 9 10 Contents 1 Background 1 1 Family 1 2 Education 1 3 Marriages and personal life 2 Business career 2 1 Customs 2 2 Real estate 2 3 Transportation 2 4 Involvement in business 3 Early political career 4 Vice President of Nigeria 4 1 First term 4 2 Second term 4 3 Third term agenda 4 4 Presidential election of 2007 5 Post vice presidency 5 1 Return to the PDP 5 2 All Progressives Congress 5 3 2019 presidential campaign 6 Ideology and public image 6 1 Federalism 6 2 Education 6 3 Corruption 7 Titles and honours 7 1 Traditional titles 7 2 International honours 8 References 9 External linksBackground EditFamily Edit Atiku Abubakar was born on 25 November 1946 in Jada 11 a village which was then under the administration of the British Cameroons the territory later joined with the Federation of Nigeria in the 1961 British Cameroons referendum His father Garba Abubakar was a Fulani trader and farmer and his mother was Aisha Kande He was named after his paternal grandfather Atiku Abdulqadir who hails from Wurno Sokoto State and migrated to Kojoli village at Jada Adamawa State his maternal grandfather called Inuwa Dutse migrated to Jada Adamawa State from Dutse Jigawa State he became the only child of his parents when his only sister died at infancy 12 In 1957 his father died by drowning while crossing a river to Toungo a neighbouring village to Jada 12 Education Edit His father was opposed to the idea of Western education and tried to keep Atiku Abubakar out of the traditional school system When the government discovered that Abubakar was not attending mandatory schooling his father spent a few days in jail until Aisha Kande s mother paid the fine At the age of eight Abubakar enrolled in the Jada Primary School Adamawa After completing his primary school education in 1960 he was admitted into Adamawa Provincial Secondary School in the same year alongside 59 other students He graduated from secondary school in 1965 after he made grade three in the West African Senior School Certificate Examination 13 Following secondary school Abubakar studied a short while at the Nigeria Police College in Kaduna He left the College when he was unable to present an O Level Mathematics result and worked briefly as a Tax Officer in the Regional Ministry of Finance from where he gained admission to the School of Hygiene in Kano in 1966 He graduated with a Diploma in 1967 having served as Interim Student Union President at the school In 1967 he enrolled for a Law Diploma at the Ahmadu Bello University Institute of Administration on a scholarship from the regional government After graduation in 1969 during the Nigerian Civil War he was employed by the Nigeria Customs Service 14 In 2021 Abubakar successfully completed and passed his Master s degree in International Relations at Anglia Ruskin University Cambridge United Kingdom 15 Marriages and personal life Edit Abubakar has four wives and twenty eight children 16 Atiku explains I wanted to expand the Abubakar family I felt extremely lonely as a child I had no brother and no sister I did not want my children to be as lonely as I was This is why I married more than one wife My wives are my sisters my friends and my advisers and they complement one another 17 In 1971 he secretly married Titilayo Albert in Lagos because her family was initially opposed to the union His children from her include Fatima Adamu Halima and Aminu In 1979 he married Ladi Yakubu as his second wife He has six children with Ladi Abba Atiku Zainab Ummi Hauwa Maryam and Rukaiyatu Abubakar later divorced Ladi allowing him to marry as his fourth wife the maximum permitted him as a Muslim Jennifer Iwenjiora Douglas 18 In 1983 he married his third wife Princess Rukaiyatu daughter of the Lamido of Adamawa Aliyu Mustafa The children from her are Aisha Hadiza Aliyu named after her late father Asmau Mustafa Laila and Abdulsalam In 1986 he married his fourth wife Fatima Shettima Her children include Amina Meena Mohammed and the twins Ahmed Shehu the twins Zainab Aisha and Hafsat citation needed On Tuesday 1 February 2022 Jennifer Douglas confirmed her divorce to Abubakar in a statement According to her their union broke down due to disagreements over her continued stay in the United Kingdom amongst other long standing issues citation needed Business career EditCustoms Edit Abubakar worked in the Nigeria Customs Service for twenty years rising to become the Deputy Director as the second highest position in the Service was then known he retired in April 1989 and took up full time business and politics He started out in the real estate business during his early days as a Customs Officer 19 Real estate Edit In 1974 he applied for and received a 31 000 naira loan to build his first house in Yola which he put up for rent From proceeds of the rent he purchased another plot and built a second house He continued this way building a sizeable portfolio of property in Yola Nigeria 20 In 1981 he moved into agriculture acquiring 2 500 hectares of land near Yola to start a maize and cotton farm The business fell on hard times and closed in 1986 My first foray into agriculture in the 1980s ended in failure he wrote in an April 2014 blog 21 He then ventured into trading buying and selling truckloads of rice flour and sugar citation needed Transportation Edit Abubakar s most important business move came while he was a Customs Officer at the Apapa Ports Gabrielle Volpi an Italian businessman in Nigeria invited him to set up Nigeria Container Services NICOTES a logistics company operating within the Ports NICOTES would later go on to become Intels Nigeria Limited and provide immense wealth to Abubakar Abubakar is a co founder of Intels Nigeria Limited an oil servicing business with extensive operations in Nigeria and abroad 22 Atiku s other business interests are centred within Yola Adamawa and include the Adama Beverages Limited a beverage manufacturing plant in Yola an animal feed factory and the American University of Nigeria AUN the first American style private university to be established in Sub Saharan Africa He retired in April 1989 and took up full time business and politics citation needed Involvement in business Edit Conflict of interest accusations has since trailed him on account of his involvement in business while a civil servant who exercised supervisory authority On his part Abubakar has defended the decision saying his involvement was limited to the ownership of shares which government rules permitted and that he was not involved in the day to day running of the business His company NICOTES would later be rebranded into INTELS and would later go on to feature prominently in accusations of money laundering levelled against n Abubakar by the U S government during his vice presidency 23 Early political career Edit Atiku Abubakar in 1990s Abubakar s first foray into politics was in the early 1980s when he worked behind the scenes on the governorship campaign of Bamanga Tukur who at that time was managing director of the Nigeria Ports Authority He canvassed for votes on behalf of Tukur and also donated to the campaign citation needed Towards the end of his Customs career he met General Shehu Musa Yar Adua who had been second in command Chief of Staff Supreme Headquarters between 1976 and 1979 Abubakar was drawn by Yar Adua into the political meetings that were now happening regularly in Yar Adua s Lagos home which gave rise to the People s Front of Nigeria The People s Front included politicians such as Umaru Musa Yar Adua Baba Gana Kingibe Bola Tinubu Sabo Bakin Zuwo Rabiu Kwankwaso Abdullahi Aliyu Sumaila and Abubakar Koko citation needed In 1989 Abubakar was elected the National Vice Chairman of the Peoples Front of Nigeria in the build up to the Third Nigerian Republic Abubakar won a seat to represent his constituency at the 1989 Constituent Assembly set up to decide a new constitution for Nigeria The People s Front was eventually denied registration by the military government none of the groups that applied was registered and merged with the government created Social Democratic Party SDP 24 On 1 September 1990 Abubakar announced his Gongola State gubernatorial bid A year later before the elections could hold Gongola State was broken up into two Adamawa and Taraba States by the Federal Government Abubakar fell into the new Adamawa State After the contest he won the SDP Primaries in November 1991 but was soon disqualified by the government from contesting the elections 24 In 1993 Abubakar contested the SDP presidential primaries The results after the first ballot of the primaries held in Jos was Moshood Abiola with 3 617 votes Baba Gana Kingibe with 3 255 votes and Abubakar with 2 066 votes Abubakar and Kingibe considered joining forces combining 5 231 votes to challenge Abiola However after Shehu Yar Adua asked Atiku Abubakar to withdraw from the campaign with Abiola promising to make him his running mate Abiola was later pressured by SDP governors to select Kinigbe as his Vice presidential running mate in the June 12 presidential election 25 After the 12 June and during the General Sani Abacha transition Abubakar he showed interest to contest for the Gubnetorial seat of Adamawa State under the United Nigeria Congress Party the transition program came to an end with the death of General Abacha In 1998 Abubakar joined the Peoples Democratic Party PDP and later secured nomination for Governor of Adamawa State winning the December 1998 governorship elections but before he could be sworn in he accepted a position as the running mate to the PDP presidential candidate former military head of state General Olusegun Obasanjo who went on to win the 1999 presidential election ushering in the Fourth Nigerian Republic 26 Vice President of Nigeria EditFirst term Edit Seal of the Vice President On 29 May 1999 Abubakar was sworn in as Vice President of Nigeria His first term was mainly characterized by his role as Chairman of the National Economic Council and head of the National Council on Privatization overseeing the sale of hundreds of loss making and poorly managed public enterprises alongside Nasir El Rufai citation needed Second term Edit Abubakar s second term as vice president was marked by a stormy relationship with President Obasanjo 27 In 2006 Abubakar was involved in a bitter public battle with his boss President Olusegun Obasanjo ostensibly arising from the latter s bid to amend certain provisions of the constitution to take another shot at the presidency Third Term Agenda 28 Third term agenda Edit The controversy generated by the failed constitutional amendment momentarily caused a rift in the People s Democratic Party The National Assembly eventually vetoed the amendments allowing Obasanjo to run for another term In 2006 Abubakar fell out with his boss Olusegun Obasanjo and left from the Peoples Democratic Party PDP to the Action Congress of Nigeria ACN in preparation for the 2007 elections 29 In a November 2013 interview regarding Obasanjo s alleged attempts to justify his third term bid Abubakar is quoted as saying He informed me that I left power twenty years ago I left Mubarak in office I left Mugabe in office I left Eyadema in office I left Umar Bongo and even Paul Biya and I came back and they are still in power and I just did eight years and you are asking me to go why And I responded to him by telling him that Nigeria is not Libya not Egypt not Cameroun and not Togo I said you must leave even if it means both of us lose out but you cannot stay 30 On 30 March 2014 Nigerian media reported that a delegation from the Northern Youth Leaders Forum visited Obasanjo at his home in Abeokuta and pleaded with him to forgive your former vice president Alhaji Atiku Abubakar of whatever political sin or offence he might have committed against you In response Obasanjo is quoted as saying that as a leader and father I bear no grudge against anybody and if there is I have forgiven them all 31 Presidential election of 2007 Edit On 25 November 2006 Abubakar announced that he would run for president On 20 December 2006 he was chosen as the presidential candidate of the Action Congress AC 32 On 14 March 2007 the Independent National Electoral Commission INEC released the final list of 24 aspirants for 21 April presidential election Abubakar s name was missing from the ballot INEC issued a statement stating that Abubakar s name was missing because he was on a list of persons indicted for corruption by a panel set up by the government 33 Abubakar headed to the courts on 16 March to have his disqualification overturned The Supreme Court unanimously ruled on 16 April that INEC had no power to disqualify candidates 34 The ruling allowed Abubakar to contest the election although there were concerns that it might not be possible to provide ballots with Abubakar s name by 21 April the date of the election On 17 April a spokesman for INEC said that Abubakar would be on the ballot According to official results Abubakar took third place behind PDP candidate Umaru Yar Adua and ANPP candidate Muhammadu Buhari with approximately 7 of the vote 2 6 million votes Abubakar rejected the election results and called for its cancellation describing it as Nigeria s worst election ever 35 He stated that he would not attend Umaru Yar Adua s inauguration on 29 May due to his view that the election was not credible saying that he did not want to dignify such a hollow ritual with my presence 36 Post vice presidency Edit Official Atiku Abubakar portrait for 2011 Nigeria election Return to the PDP Edit Following the 2007 elections Abubakar returned to the People s Democratic Party In October 2010 he announced his intention to contest for the Presidency On 22 November a Committee of Northern Elders selected him as the Northern Consensus Candidate over former Military President Ibrahim Babangida former National Security Adviser Aliyu Gusau and Governor Bukola Saraki of Kwara State 37 In January 2011 Abubakar contested for the Presidential ticket of his party alongside President Jonathan and Sarah Jubril and lost the primary garnering 805 votes to President Jonathan s 2736 38 In August 2013 the Independent National Electoral Commission INEC registered two new political parties One of them was the Peoples Democratic Movement Local media reports suggested that the party was formed by Abubakar as a back up plan in case he was unable to fulfil his rumoured presidential ambitions on the PDP platform 39 In a statement Abubakar acknowledged that the PDM was founded by his political associates but that he remained a member of the PDP 40 Atiku Abubakar emerged as the presidential candidate of the Peoples Democratic Party for 2023 election after he defeated 12 other candidates in a keenly contested presidential primary held at the Moshood Abiola Stadium in Abuja on 28 May 2022 41 Of the 767 accredited ballots at the election he polled 371 votes while his closest challenger Governor of Rivers State Nyesom Wike came second with 237 votes Nigeria s former Senate President Bukola Saraki scored 70 votes to come a distant third while Governor of Akwa Ibom Udom Emmanuel came fourth with 38 votes 42 All Progressives Congress Edit Abubakar with Muhammadu Buhari On 2 February 2014 Abubakar once again left the Peoples Democratic Party and became a founding member All Progressives Congress 43 with the ambition of contesting for the presidency ahead of the 2015 presidential election 44 The results of the APC presidential primaries results held in Lagos was Muhammadu Buhari with 3 430 votes Rabiu Kwankwaso with 974 votes Atiku Abubakar with 954 votes Rochas Okorocha with 400 votes and Sam Nda Isiah with 10 votes On Friday 24 November 2017 Abubakar announced his exit from the All Progressives Congress APC and returned to the Peoples Democratic Party PDP on 3 December 2017 45 He said he decided to return home to the PDP now that the issues which made him leave the party had been resolved 46 2019 presidential campaign Edit In 2018 Abubakar began his presidential campaign and secured the party nomination of the PDP in the presidential primaries held in Port Harcourt on 7 October 2018 He defeated all the other aspirants and got 1 532 votes 839 more than the runner up the Governor of Sokoto State Aminu Tambuwal Atiku Abubakar continued his campaign rally in Kogi State as he promised to complete abandoned projects in the state 47 On 30 January he participated in the town hall meeting tagged NGTheCandidate And in the meeting he declared that he will grant amnesty to looters 48 and he vowed to privatize 90 of NNPC Nigeria s primary source of income 49 Atiku took his campaigns to Katsina visit Emir of Daura on 7 February 2019 50 On 27 February 2019 Atiku lost the presidential election to incumbent President Muhammadu Buhari by over 3 million votes 51 The appealed at the Supreme Court and described the election as the worst in Nigeria s democratic history 52 Ideology and public image EditFederalism Edit Abubakar launched the True Federalism campaign in 2017 He has been delivering speeches all over the country inspiring Nigerians on the need to restructure the country He has been receiving massive endorsement for his stand on True Federalism citation needed He recently declared at an event where he was conferred the award Hero Of Democracy by Hall of Grace Magazine citation needed Political decentralization will also help to deepen and strengthen our democracy as it will encourage more accountability Citizens are more likely to demand accountability when governments spend their tax money rather than rent collected from an impersonal source citation needed He also said True Federalism will encourage states to compete to attract investments and skilled workers rather than merely waiting for monthly revenue allocation from Abuja citation needed Many of his speeches have caused positive stir nationwide as Nigerians are supporting the idea of True Federalism which involves allowing states to have control over their resources most especially the South South and South East of Nigeria 53 Education Edit In his speeches and commentary Abubakar is a vocal advocate of the importance of Nigeria s educational system He is also the founder of the American University of Nigeria AUN in Yola Adamawa It was founded in Yola the capital of Adamawa State as American University of Nigeria AUN by Abubakar in 2005 He has said that having benefited from the U S system of instruction as a young man he was eager to make available in Nigeria an American styled faculty emphasizing critical thinking small classes student participation problem solving AUN has received special recognition from Google citation needed In August 2014 Abubakar said in a statement 54 Our country s educational institutions are clearly not providing quality learning Our teachers need to be taught This situation is a new development of the past 10 years or so The steady decline of education in Nigeria is a reflection of our country s relegation of education to the background of national essentialities That is where the change must begin Teachers are important as important as senators and doctors Indeed teachers determine the quality of senators and doctors And so the entire country stands to suffer the effects of this neglect in future Nigeria must once again make education a priority We must return to the basics 55 In a bid to alleviate the educational decadence in the North East Abubakar issued scholarships to 15 escapees of the Chibok schoolgirls kidnapping 56 Corruption Edit Atiku was implicated in an international bribery scandal along with William Jefferson and one of Atiku s wives Jennifer Atiku Abubakar 57 58 Following rumours by pundits that Atiku was unable to visit the United States in January 2017 the U S government released a statement saying it would need the consent of the politician before it can disclose the true state of his immigration status to the United States 59 Abubakar has publicly claimed that the true reason is that his visa is still being processed 60 However In recent times Atiku in company with Bukola Saraki visited the United States 17 January 2019 with the aid of Brian Ballard 61 62 Titles and honours EditTraditional titles Edit In 1982 Abubakar was given the chieftaincy title of the Turaki of Adamawa by his future father in law Adamawa s traditional ruler Alhaji Aliyu Mustafa The title had previously been reserved for the monarch s favourite prince in the palace as the holder is in charge of the monarch s domestic affairs In June 2017 Abubakar was giving the chieftaincy title of the Waziri of Adamawa and his previous title of Turaki was transferred to his son Aliyu citation needed International honours Edit In 2011 while celebrating the 50th anniversary of the US Peace Corps in 2011 the National Peace Corps Association NPCA an independent 501 c 3 nonprofit organisation separate from the Peace Corps that serves as an alumni association for Returned Peace Corps Volunteers honoured Abubakar with the Harris Wofford Global Citizen Award At the presentation of the award the National Peace Corps Association described Abubakar as one individual who contributed to the development of higher education on the continent of Africa No private businessman in Africa has worked harder for democracy or contributed more to the progress of higher education than Atiku Abubakar the NPCA said This was after in 2012 when Abubakar donated 750 000 to the National Peace Corps Association in the United States to fund a new initiative featuring global leaders who will discuss Peace Corps s impact It was the largest ever individual donation in the Association s history 63 References Edit Profile of Atiku Abubakar From an only child of a father who opposed western education to a political guru Nigeria Today 2 October 2018 Retrieved 3 January 2019 Adeosun Olajumoke 17 July 2019 Atiku Abubakar Biography and Life of the 11th Vice President of Nigeria Entrepreneurs In Nigeria Retrieved 29 May 2020 Atiku Abubakar the Nigerian operator who knows how to make money BBC News 6 February 2019 Retrieved 11 September 2020 Podcast N L Giveaway N L 25 November 2019 Happy Birthday Atiku Abubakar Celebrates His 73rd Birthday Drop Your Well Wishes Naijaloaded Naijaloaded Retrieved 29 May 2020 Adeosun Olajumoke 17 July 2019 Atiku Atiku AbAbubakar Biography and Life of the 11th Vice President of Nigeria Entrepreneurs In Nigeria Retrieved 29 May 2020 Atiku emerges PDP presidential candidate The Punch 7 October 2018 Retrieved 19 April 2019 2023 Where Nigeria s President comes from not important Atiku Vanguard News 7 October 2021 Retrieved 22 February 2022 Reuters 28 May 2022 Nigeria opposition picks veteran Abubakar as presidential candidate Reuters Retrieved 28 May 2022 Deadlock over Governor Wike as Atiku searches for running mate Premium Times 9 June 2022 Retrieved 10 June 2022 Atiku releases economic agenda vows to break govt monopoly The Punch 9 June 2022 Retrieved 10 June 2022 How I was born raised in Nigeria Atiku Premium Times Nigeria 22 April 2019 Retrieved 27 February 2022 a b The story of the struggle of my life Atiku Abubakar vanguardngr com Vanguard 28 September 2014 Retrieved 13 February 2019 Admin An Abridged Profile of Alhaji Atiku Abubakar Waziri of Adamawa GCON National Network Retrieved 16 February 2019 Abidoye Bisi 29 December 2018 Inside story of how and why Atiku left Nigeria Customs 30 years ago Retrieved 9 August 2022 Oluwafemi Ayodele 14 November 2021 Akinwumi Adesina congratulates Atiku for obtaining master s degree in UK university The Cable Archived from the original on 14 November 2021 Retrieved 15 November 2021 The Nigerian operator who knows how to make money 6 February 2019 Retrieved 15 February 2019 Atiku The Story of Atiku Abubakar by Onukaba Adinoyi Ojo Meet Jennifer Jamilah Douglas Abubakar Igbo Wife Of Atiku Abubaka Naijaloaded Naijaloaded 11 October 2018 Retrieved 3 July 2020 Tanu Ejenavwa 2008 Atiku A compassionate Leader Risafu publisher I Resigned Voluntarily From Customs Says Atiku Thisday Via AllAfrica com Retrieved 18 February 2019 Atiku Abubakar 30 April 2014 The business of Agriculture a personal narrative Archived 4 March 2016 at the Wayback Machine Atiku org Retrieved 1 August 2014 Administrator Yesterday West African history of Oil and Gas logistic Intels Retrieved 3 July 2020 The Persecution Of Abubakar Atiku amp The History Of Intels The Nigerian Voice Retrieved 19 February 2019 a b Atiku Abubakar 2013 My Life Abuja Africana Legacy Press DTN 27 11 17 Issuu Retrieved 3 July 2020 1 March 1999 World Africa Obasanjo to lead Nigeria Archived 6 March 2016 at the Wayback Machine BBC Retrieved 12 July 2014 UPDATED Atiku Emerges PDP Presidential Candidate THISDAYLIVE 7 October 2018 Retrieved 19 April 2019 Amaechi Dike 9 October 2006 Atiku The Plot Thickens Archived 4 March 2016 at the Wayback Machine The Source Magazine Retrieved 15 July 2014 Craig Timberg 17 May 2006 Nigerian Senate Blocks Bid for 3rd Presidential Term Archived 4 March 2016 at the Wayback Machine Washington Post Retrieved 14 July 2014 Adeoye Gbenro 2 November 2013 Day I blasted Obasanjo to his face Atiku Archived 6 January 2015 at the Wayback Machine The Punch Retrieved 28 July 2014 Sheriff Balogun 31 March 2014 Obasanjo I Have Forgiven Atiku Others This Day Retrieved 26 July 2014 21 December 2006 NIGERIA VP wins opposition ticket crisis looms Reuters Retrieved 12 July 2014 14 March 2007 INEC Atiku not listed Archived 4 March 2016 at the Wayback Machine The Nation Retrieved 17 July 2014 Supreme Court Judgement 20 April 2007 Attorney General of the Federation v Alhaji Atiku Abubakar Archived 5 March 2016 at the Wayback Machine Nigeria Law org Retrieved 18 July 2014 24 April 2007 Nigeria election worst ever seen Archived 14 September 2014 at the Wayback Machine Sydney Morning Herald Retrieved 16 July 2014 Why I won t attend inauguration by Abubakar Archived 4 March 2016 at the Wayback Machine The Nation Newspaper 28 May 2007 Retrieved 30 December 2013 22 November 2010 Atiku is Northern Consensus Candidate Archived 4 March 2016 at the Wayback Machine Vanguard Retrieved 16 July 2014 14 January 2011 Goodluck Jonathan Defeats Atiku In PDP Presidential Primary Archived 21 October 2016 at the Wayback Machine Sahara Reporters Retrieved 12 August 2014 19 August 2013 PDM is Atiku s Ploy to become president PDP Group Alleges Archived 19 August 2014 at the Wayback Machine This Day Retrieved 16 August 2014 Ini Ekott 16 August 2013 Update INEC registers new party PDM linked to Atiku Archived 6 January 2015 at the Wayback Machine Premium Times Retrieved 15 August 2014 Samson Adenekan 28 May 2022 Atiku emerges PDP presidential candidate for 2023 election Premium Times Newspaper Retrieved 31 May 2022 Samson Adenekan 28 May 2022 Atiku emerges PDP presidential candidate for 2023 election Premium Times Newspaper Retrieved 31 May 2022 Henry Umoru 4 February 2014 Atiku desperate for presidency Edwin Clark Vanguard News Retrieved 21 April 2014 Onyebuchi Ezigbo 18 August 2014 Atiku Ready to Declare for Presidency APC Plans for National Convention Archived 18 August 2014 at the Wayback Machine This Day Retrieved 18 August 2014 Ugbede Lois 24 November 2017 Atiku dumps APC Premium Times Retrieved 18 February 2019 Atiku Returns to PDP PulseNG Retrieved 6 January 2018 Television Oak 8 January 2019 What Atiku said at his Kogi presidential rally OAK TV oak tv Retrieved 8 January 2019 Television Oak 1 February 2019 I ll grant amnesty to looters Atiku OAK TV Retrieved 5 February 2019 I ll sell 90 of NNPC if elected Atiku Punch Nigeria Retrieved 20 February 2019 Atiku Campaigns In Katsina Visits Emir Of Daura Channels Television Retrieved 7 February 2019 INEC declares Buhari winner of presidential election Oak TV Newstrack 27 February 2019 Retrieved 28 February 2019 Atiku This is the worst election in Nigeria s history Oak TV Newstrack 27 February 2019 Archived from the original on 27 February 2019 Retrieved 28 February 2019 Abolish states adopt 6 geopolitical zones as federating units Atiku Vanguard 23 May 2017 Retrieved 9 February 2019 Ujunwa Atueyi 2 August 2014 Mass failure as WAEC releases results The Guardian Retrieved 15 August 2014 Osun Defender 16 August 2014 How Nation s failure resulted to 2014 WAEC mass failure Atiku reveals Archived 19 August 2014 at the Wayback Machine Retrieved 16 August 2014 15 Chibok girls awarded scholarships to American University Academy premiumtimesng com 31 August 2014 Retrieved 31 August 2014 Johnston David Zeleny Jeff 5 June 2007 Congressman Sought Bribes Indictment Says The New York Times ISSN 0362 4331 Retrieved 12 January 2019 Lengel Allan 22 July 2006 Nigerian Entangled In Jefferson Investigation Washington Post Retrieved 11 January 2019 EXCLUSIVE Why we won t say whether Atiku is barred wanted in America U S Govt Premium Times Nigeria Premium Times Nigeria 30 January 2017 Retrieved 8 December 2017 Atiku reveals why he cannot visit US claims Buhari was banned too Daily Post Nigeria Daily Post Nigeria 2 December 2017 Retrieved 8 December 2017 Television Oak 21 January 2019 Atiku s visit to U S important to us says PDP OAK TV Retrieved 22 January 2019 Brian Ballard the lobbyist who arranged Atiku s US visit Oak TV Newstrack 22 January 2019 Retrieved 22 January 2019 Press Release National Peace Corps Association Receives 750 000 Donation from Nigerian Atiku Abubakar for Global Leaders ProgramExternal links Edit Wikimedia Commons has media related to Atiku Abubakar Official website Party political officesNew political party PDP nominee for Vice President of Nigeria1999 2003 Succeeded byGoodluck JonathanACN nominee for President of Nigeria2007 Succeeded byNuhu RibaduPreceded byGoodluck Jonathan PDP nominee for President of Nigeria2019 2023 Most recentPolitical officesPreceded byMike Akhigbe Vice President of Nigeria1999 2007 Succeeded byGoodluck Jonathan Retrieved from https en wikipedia org w index php title Atiku Abubakar amp oldid 1131133412, wikipedia, wiki, book, books, library,

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