#ELECTION2019 PDP PRESIDENTIAL CANDIDATE ALHAJI ATIKU ABUBAKAR’ S PROFILE

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Alhaji Atiku Abubakar (Born 25 November, 1946) to a Fulani trader and farmer Garba Abubakar, and his second wife, Aisha Kande, in Jada village of Adamawa State. He was named after his paternal grandfather Atiku Abdulqadir and became the only child of his parents when his only sister died at infancy.

In 1957, his father died by drowning while crossing a river to Toungo, a neighbouring village to Jada.

After completed his primary school education in 1960 the year was given Independence and 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 School Certificate Examination.

Abubakar then proceeded to attend Nigerian Police College, Kaduna. He left the college for a position as a tax official in the Regional Ministry of Finance. Later he received admission to study at the School of Hygiene, Kano in 1966. In 1967, he graduated with a diploma. That same year, Atiku Abubakar was admitted for a Law Diploma at Ahmadu Bello University on a scholarship. He graduated in 1969 and was employed by Nigeria Customs Service that same year.

Atiku is a seasoned and experienced Nigerian politician who has been relevant in the socio-political space for over three decades in the country. He has leadership skills with capacity that has been manifest in the various roles he has occupied since the 80s.

The Former Vice President of the Federal Republic of Nigeria from (1999-2007), he is a pragmatic business leader, with investments in various sectors of the Nigerian economy.

A former Deputy Comptroller General of Customs in Nigeria, Atiku is an audacious leader who will go any length to drive and steer a movement and vision he believes in. In the 1980s he began his political career by working for Chief Bamanga Tukur’s Gubernatorial campaign, and later worked with former Chief of General Staff Lt. Gen Shehu Musa Yaradua (Late) and was the Vice-Chairman of the Peoples Front of Nigeria led by Yaradua.

In 1991 he contested the Gubernatorial position in then Gongola State (Now Adamawa and Taraba States) but still remained a close associate of Shehu Umaru Yaradua (Late).

In 1993 Atiku contested for President under the platform of the Social Democratic Party (SDP) , but lost to Chief M.K.O Abiola(Late) who was the flagbearer for the party in the annulled June 12, 1993 elections.

Atiku emerged the key driver of the People’s Democratic Movement that joined other political movements to form the People’s Democratic Party PDP in 1998. He contested and won the Gubernatorial elections in Adamawa State, but was tapped to serve under President Olusegun Obasanjo as the Vice-President of the Federal Republic of Nigeria.

As Vice-President he was the Chairman of the National Council of Privatization and played an instrumental role in the Privatization process of the Telecommunications Industry, which has been described as one of the best economic decisions of the Obasanjo administration.

With his wealth of knowledge and understanding of business, Atiku carried out other pro-business reforms of the Obasanjo administration, which saw Nigeria’s economy experiencing a turnaround attracting key investments from the western nations.

He came to limelight when it was widely reported of his refusal to endorse a much talked about third-term ambition of President Olusegun Obasanjo in between 2005 and 2006. Nigerians commended him for his firm stand despite all his travails towards the tail end of his tenure.

In 2006 Alhaji Atiku Abubakar joined the Action Congress to mobilize efforts to contest elections against the People’s Democratic Party, but he returned back to the PDP in 2009.

Atiku supported Buhari as the APC defeated the former President Goodluck Jonathan’s PDP government in the 2015 general elections, and delivered Adamawa State during the polls.

The former Vice-President has business interests like Intels (Maritime and Oil servicing) and Adama Beverages Limited. Despite the narrative and allegations that he is a corrupt politician and businessman, there has been no proof or criminal conviction from a court of competent jurisprudence in the country.

He is also the founder of one of the best private Universities in Nigeria, the American University of Nigeria in Yola, Adamawa State which is raising world-class leaders.

In 2017, After assessing the situation in the All Progressive party Atiku Abubakar defected and returned back to the PDP, citing the failure of the former to give hope and provide opportunities to Nigerians.

Atiku is also a Philanthropist that has contributed to the upliftment of thousands of Nigerians from poverty.

Alhaji Atiku Abubakar is married and blessed with Children and Grandchildren.