Wikipedia on Atiku Abubakar GCON Atiku Abubakar (Nigeria presidential candidate ) (born November 25, 1946) is a Nigerian politician and businessman who served as Nigeria’s Vice President from 1999 to 2007 under Olusegun Obasanjo’s presidency.
In 1990, 1997, and 1998, he stood for Governor of Adamawa State and was elected, before becoming Olusegun Obasanjo’s running mate in the 1999 presidential election and being re-elected in 2003.
Since entering politics in 1993, Atiku Abubakar has run for President of Nigeria five times, unsuccessfully in 1993, 2007, 2011, 2015, and 2019. This is all about Atiku
He ran for presidency of the Social Democratic Party in 1993, but lost to Moshood Abiola and Baba Gana Kingibe.
In the 2007 presidential election, he ran for the Action Congress and finished third behind Umaru Yar’Adua of the PDP and Muhammadu Buhari of the ANPP.
During the 2011 presidential election, he ran in the People’s Democratic Party presidential primaries, but was defeated by incumbent President Goodluck Jonathan.
He joined the All Progressives Congress in 2014, ahead of the 2015 presidential election, and ran for president, losing to Muhammadu Buhari in the primaries.
He rejoined the Peoples Democratic Party in 2017 and ran as the party’s presidential candidate in the 2019 election, losing to incumbent President Muhammadu Buhari once more.
Background\Family
Atiku Abubakar was born on November 25, 1946, in Jada, a village administered by the British Cameroons at the time; the region later joined the Federation of Nigeria in the 1961 British Cameroons referendum.
Garba Abubakar, his father, was a Fulani merchant and farmer, and Aisha Kande, his mother.
His paternal grandfather, Atiku Abdulqadir, hails from Wurno, Sokoto State, and migrated to Kojoli village in Jada, Adamawa State. His maternal grandfather, Inuwa Dutse, migrated to Jada, Adamawa State from Dutse, Jigawa State, and he became his parents’ only child when his only sister died in infancy.
In 1957, his father drowned while crossing a river from Jada to Toungo, a nearby town.
Wikipedia on Atiku Abubakar
Education
Atiku Abubakar’s father was hostile to Western education and tried to keep him out of the traditional school system.
When the authorities learned that Abubakar was not attending mandatory schooling, his father was arrested and imprisoned for a few days until Aisha Kande’s mother paid the fee.
Abubakar started school at the Jada Primary School in Adamawa when he was eight years old.
He was admitted to Adamawa Provincial Secondary School in 1960, alongside 59 other pupils, after finishing his primary school studies.
He earned a grade three in the West African Senior School Certificate Examination and graduated from secondary school in 1965.
Following secondary school, Abubakar attended the Nigeria Police College in Kaduna for a brief period.
When he was unable to show an O-Level Mathematics result, he left the College and worked for a short time as a Tax Officer in the Regional Ministry of Finance, from where he was admitted to Kano’s School of Hygiene in 1966.
In 1967, he received his diploma after serving as Interim Student Union President at the institution.
On a regional government scholarship, he enrolled in the Ahmadu Bello University Institute of Administration for a Law Diploma in 1967.
During the Nigerian Civil War, he worked for the Nigeria Customs Service after graduating in 1969.
Abubakar earned his Master’s degree in International Relations from Anglia Ruskin University in Cambridge, United Kingdom, in 2021.
Abubakar has four marriages and twenty-eight children in his personal life.
“I wanted to increase the Abubakar family,” Atiku says.
As a child, I was incredibly lonely.
I didn’t have a brother or a sister.
I didn’t want my kids to feel as alone as I did.
This is why I married multiple women.
My wives are my sisters, friends, and advisers, and they balance each other out.”
Wikipedia on Atiku Abubakar
Because her family was initially opposed to the union, he married Titilayo Albert in secret in Lagos in 1971.
Fatima, Adamu, Halima, and Aminu are his children from her.
He married his second wife, Ladi Yakubu, in 1979.
Abba, Atiku, Zainab, Ummi-Hauwa, Maryam, and Rukaiyatu are his six children with Ladi.
Abubakar then divorced Ladi, allowing him to marry Jennifer Iwenjiora Douglas, his fourth wife (the maximum allowed as a Muslim).
Princess Rukaiyatu, daughter of Adamawa’s Lamido, Aliyu Mustafa, was his third wife, whom he married in 1983.
Aisha, Hadiza, Aliyu (named after her late father), Asmau, Mustafa, Laila, and Abdulsalam are her children.
He married Fatima Shettima, his fourth wife, in 1986.
Amina (Meena), Mohammed, and the twins Ahmed / Shehu, Zainab / Aisha, and Hafsat are among her offspring.
Customs and business careers
Abubakar served for the Nigeria Customs Service for twenty years, climbing through the ranks to become the Deputy Director, the Service’s second highest post at the time; he left in April 1989 and went into full-time business and politics.
During his time as a Customs Officer, he began working in the real estate industry.
He asked for and secured a 31,000 naira loan in 1974 to construct his first house in Yola, which he rented out.
Investing in real estate
He asked for and secured a 31,000 naira loan in 1974 to construct his first house in Yola, which he rented out.
He bought another land and built a second house with the rent money.
He kept going in this direction, amassing a sizable property portfolio in Yola, Nigeria.
He entered agriculture in 1981, purchasing 2,500 hectares of land near Yola to build a maize and cotton farm.
The company ran into financial difficulties and folded in 1986.
In an April 2014 blog post, he stated, “My first attempt into agricultural, in the 1980s, ended in disaster.”
He then went into business for himself, purchasing and selling truckloads of rice, wheat, and sugar.
Transportation
While working as a Customs Officer at the Apapa Ports, Abubakar made his most critical business decision.
An Italian businessman in Nigeria, Gabrielle Volpi, invited him to start Nigeria Container Services (NICOTES), a logistics company that operates in the ports.
NICOTES would subsequently become Intels Nigeria Limited, bringing Abubakar enormous wealth.
Abubakar is a co-founder of Intels Nigeria Limited, a company that provides oil services in Nigeria and overseas.
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The Adama Beverages Limited, a beverage production plant in Yola, an animal feed factory, and the American University of Nigeria (AUN), the first American-style private university to be created in Sub-Saharan Africa, are among Atiku’s other commercial holdings.
In April 1989, he retired and returned to full-time business and politics.
Participation in the business world
Since then, he’s been dogged by allegations of conflict of interest stemming from his involvement in business while working as a federal servant with supervisory power.
Abubakar, for his part, has justified the decision, claiming that his role was confined to the holding of shares (as allowed by government standards) and that he was not involved in the day-to-day operations of the company.
His company, NICOTES, would eventually be renamed INTELS and would go on to play a key role in the allegations of money laundering leveled against Abubakar by the US government while he was vice president.
Political career in its early stages
In the 1990s, Atiku Abubakar
Abubakar’s first excursion into politics was in the early 1980s, when he assisted Bamanga Tukur, the managing director of the Nigerian Ports Authority at the time, with his governorship campaign.
He canvassed for votes on Tukur’s behalf and contributed to the campaign.
He met General Shehu Musa Yar’Adua, who had served as second-in-command Chief of Staff, Supreme Headquarters between 1976 and 1979, near the end of his Customs career.
Yar’Adua drew Abubakar into the political discussions that were now taking place on a regular basis in Yar’Adua’s Lagos home, giving birth to the Peoples Front of Nigeria (PFN).
Umaru Musa Yar’Adua, Baba Gana Kingibe, Bola Tinubu, Sabo Bakin Zuwo, Rabiu Kwankwaso, Abdullahi Aliyu Sumaila, and Abubakar Koko were among the PFN’s members.
In the run-up to the Third Nigerian Republic, Abubakar was chosen National Vice-Chairman of the Peoples Front of Nigeria in 1989.
Abubakar was elected to the Constituent Assembly in 1989 to represent his constituency in the process of drafting a new constitution for Nigeria.
The military government eventually denied the People’s Front registration (none of the organisations that applied were), and the PFN merged with the government-created Social Democratic Party (SDP).
Abubakar launched his candidacy for governor of Gongola State on September 1, 1990.
The Federal Government split Gongola State into two states, Adamawa and Taraba, a year later, before the elections could be held.
Abubakar was born in the newly formed Adamawa State.
He won the SDP Primaries in November 1991 after the contest, but the government quickly disqualified him from running in the elections.
Abubakar ran for president of the Social Democratic Party (SDP) in 1993.
After the first ballot in the Jos primaries, Moshood Abiola received 3,617 votes, Baba Gana Kingibe received 3,255 votes, and Abubakar received 2,066 votes.
Abubakar and Kingibe discussed teaming together to fight Abiola with a total of 5,231 votes.
Shehu Yar’Adua, on the other hand, urged Atiku Abubakar to drop out of the campaign after Abiola promised to make him his running partner.
SDP governors later persuaded Abiola to choose Kinigbe as his vice-presidential running mate in the presidential election on June 12th.
Abubakar expressed interest in running for the Gubnetorial seat of Adamawa State under the United Nigeria Congress Party after the death of General Sani Abacha on June 12, but the transition program came to a stop with General Abacha’s death.
Abubakar joined the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) in 1998 and was nominated for Governor of Adamawa State, which he won in December 1998. However, 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 and usher in the Fourth Nigerian Republic.
Nigeria’s Vice President
The first year
Abubakar was sworn in as Vice President of Nigeria on May 29, 1999.
His first term was marked by his role as Chairman of the National Economic Council and head of the National Council on Privatization, where he oversaw the sale of hundreds of loss-making and poorly managed public enterprises alongside Nasir El Rufai. His second term was marked by his role as Chairman of the National Economic Council and head of the National Council on Privatization, where he oversaw the sale of hundreds of loss-making and poorly managed public enterprises alongside Nasir El Rufai.
President Obasanjo and Abubakar had a tumultuous relationship during Abubakar’s second stint as vice president.
In 2006, Abubakar had a public spat with his boss, President Olusegun Obasanjo, reportedly over the latter’s attempt to modify key articles of the constitution in order to run for president again (Third Term Agenda).
Agenda for the third term
The unsuccessful constitutional amendment sparked a schism within the People’s Democratic Party for a brief period.
The reforms allowing Obasanjo to run for another term were subsequently defeated by the National Assembly.
In 2006, Abubakar had a falling out with his boss, Olusegun Obasanjo, and switched parties to the Action Congress of Nigeria (ACN) in preparation for the 2007 elections.
“[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?” Abubakar is quoted as saying in a November 2013 interview in response to Obasanjo’s alleged attempts to justify his third term bid
And I told him that Nigeria is not Libya, Egypt, Cameroon, or Togo, and that he ought to go, even if it meant losing both of our jobs.
A team from the Northern Youth Leaders Forum visited Obasanjo at his house in Abeokuta on March 30, 2014, and appealed with him to “forgive your former vice-president, Alhaji Atiku Abubakar of whatever political sin or transgression he could have committed against you,” according to Nigerian media.
“As a leader and father, I have no malice towards anyone,” Obasanjo is reported as saying, “and if there is, I have forgiven them all.”
2007 presidential election
Abubakar announced his presidential candidacy on November 25, 2006.
He was chosen as the Action Congress’ presidential candidate on December 20, 2006. (AC).
The Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC) issued the final list of 24 presidential candidates on March 14, 2007.
The ballot did not include Abubakar’s name.
INEC stated that Abubakar’s name was missing because he was named on a list of people indicted for corruption by a government-appointed body.
On March 16, Abubakar went to court to get his disqualification overturned.
On April 16, the Supreme Court unanimously found that INEC lacked the authority to dismiss candidates.
The verdict permitted Abubakar to run in the race, despite worries that ballots bearing Abubakar’s name would not be available before the poll’s deadline of April 21.
On April 17, an INEC spokesman stated that Abubakar would be on the ballot.
Abubakar came in third place with about 7% of the vote, behind PDP candidate Umaru Yar’Adua and ANPP candidate Muhammadu Buhari, according to official figures (2.6 million votes).
Abubakar slammed the poll results and demanded a rerun, calling it Nigeria’s “worst election ever.”
He announced that he would not attend Umaru Yar’Adua’s inauguration on May 29 because he did not want to “dignify such a meaningless rite with my participation” because the election was not credible.
After the vice presidency,
Back to the PDP
Abubakar rejoined the People’s Democratic Party after the 2007 elections.
He announced his desire to run for President in October 2010.
On November 22, a Northern Elders Committee chose him over former Military President Ibrahim Babangida, former National Security Adviser Aliyu Gusau, and Kwara State Governor Bukola Saraki as the Northern Consensus Candidate.
Abubakar ran for President of his party’s ticket alongside President Jonathan and Sarah Jubril in January 2011, but lost the primary, receiving 805 votes to President Jonathan’s 2736.
The Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC) registered two new political parties in August of 2013.
The Peoples Democratic Movement was one of them.
According to local media reports, Abubakar founded the party as a backup plan in case he was unable to realize his speculated presidential ambitions on the PDP platform.
Abubakar confirmed in a statement that the PDM was created by his “political allies,” but that he remained a PDP member. Atiku election 2023
Congress of Progressives and Socialists (APC)
Abubakar quit the Peoples Democratic Party on February 2, 2014, to join the All Progressives Congress as a founding member, with the goal of running for president in the 2015 presidential election.
Muhammadu Buhari received 3,430 votes, Rabiu Kwankwaso received 974 votes, Atiku Abubakar received 954 votes, Rochas Okorocha received 400 votes, and Sam Nda-Isiah received 10 votes in the APC presidential primaries held in Lagos.
Abubakar announced his departure from the All Progressives Congress (APC) on Friday, November 24, 2017, and returned to the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) on December 3, 2017.
He stated that now that the difficulties that caused him to leave the party have been settled, he has decided to’return home’ to the PDP.
Campaign for President of the United States in 2019
Abubakar started his presidential campaign in 2018 and won the PDP’s party ticket in the presidential primaries held in Port Harcourt on October 7, 2018.
He defeated all other candidates and received 1,532 votes, 839 more than the runner-up, Sokoto State Governor Aminu Tambuwal.
Atiku Abubakar’s campaign rally in Kogi State resumed, with the former vice president promising to finish unfinished projects in the state.
On the 30th of January, he took part in a town hall gathering dubbed #NGTheCandidate.
He also promised to provide amnesty to looters and to sell 90% of NNPC, Nigeria’s principal source of revenue, during the meeting.
On 7 February 2019, Atiku visited the Emir of Daura in Katsina as part of his campaign.
Atiku lost the presidential election to current President Muhammadu Buhari by over 3 million votes on February 27, 2019.
The election was regarded as the “worst in Nigeria’s democratic history” in a petition to the Supreme Court.
Ideology and the public’s perception
Federalism
In 2017, Abubakar began the True Federalism campaign.
He has been giving speeches all throughout Nigeria, encouraging Nigerians to reform their country.
For his position on True Federalism, he has received a lot of support.
He recently stated this at an event where he was honored with the Hall of Grace Magazine’s Hero of Democracy award.
“Political decentralization will also contribute to the deepening and strengthening of our democracy by encouraging more accountability.”
When governments spend their tax money rather than rent obtained from an impersonal source, citizens are more likely to demand accountability.”
“True Federalism will enable states to compete for investments and skilled personnel rather than relying on Abuja’s monthly cash allocation,” he added.
Many of his comments have sparked widespread support for True Federalism, which entails empowering states to exercise authority over their resources, particularly in Nigeria’s South-South and South-East regions.
Education
Abubakar is a passionate defender of the value of Nigeria’s educational system in his lectures and remarks.
He founded the American University of Nigeria (AUN) in Yola, Adamawa, as well.
Abubakar established the American University of Nigeria (AUN) in Yola, Adamawa State’s capital, in 2005.
He has stated that, as a young man, he profited from the American educational system and was keen to bring an American-styled faculty to Nigeria, emphasizing critical thinking, small courses, student engagement, and problem-solving.
Google has honored AUN with an unique award.
′′Our country’s educational institutions are definitely not providing excellent learning,′′ Abubakar remarked in a statement in August 2014.
Our teachers must be educated.
This is a relatively recent development—about ten years ago.
Nigeria’s gradual fall in education reflects our country’s relegation of education to the backburner of national priorities.
That is where the transformation must start.
Teachers are crucial, just like senators and physicians.
Teachers do, in fact, influence the quality of senators and doctors.
As a result, the country as a whole will be affected by this carelessness in the future.
Nigeria needs to prioritize education once more.
We need to get back to basics.′′
Abubakar awarded scholarships to 15 Chibok schoolgirls who escaped the kidnapping in an effort to combat educational decadence in the North East.
Corruption
Along with William Jefferson and one of Atiku’s wives, Jennifer Atiku Abubakar, Atiku was involved in an international bribery scandal.
Following reports from commentators that Atiku was unable to visit the United States, the US government issued a statement in January 2017 stating that it would require the politician’s approval before disclosing the true situation of his immigration status to the US.
The genuine reason, according to Abubakar, is that his visa is still being processed.
However,
Atiku, accompanied by Bukola Saraki, recently visited the United States with the help of Brian Ballard on January 17, 2019.
Honours and titles
Titles from the past
Abubakar was bestowed the Turaki of Adamawa chieftaincy title by his future father-in-law, Adamawa’s traditional ruler Alhaji Aliyu Mustafa, in 1982.
Because the bearer is in charge of the monarch’s household affairs, the title was historically reserved for the monarch’s favorite prince in the palace.
Abubakar gave his son Aliyu the chieftaincy title of Waziri of Adamawa in June 2017, and his former title of Turaki was passed to him.
Honours from around the world
In 2011, the National Peace Corps Association (NPCA) – an independent 501 (c) (3) nonprofit organization that serves as an alumni association for Returned Peace Corps Volunteers – honored Abubakar with the Harris Wofford Global Citizen Award as part of the US Peace Corps’ 50th anniversary celebrations.
The National Peace Corps Association identified Abubakar as “one individual who contributed to the growth of higher education on the continent of Africa” when presenting the prize.
“No private African businessman has worked harder for democracy or given more to higher education advancement than Atiku Abubakar,” according to the NPCA.
This came after Abubakar donated $750,000 to the National Peace Corps Association in the United States in 2012 “to sponsor a new effort featuring global leaders who would examine the impact of the Peace Corps.”
It was the Association’s largest single donation in its history. Wikipedia on Atiku Abubakar This is all about Atiku