Atiku Abubakar: The philanthropist whose father nearly denied education, eyes presidency after 25 years of trial
Twenty-five years after Atiku Abubakar first expressed his ambition to lead the good people of Nigeria, he has been presented with his best chance of realising that dream yet.
The former Vice President was, on Sunday, voted as the Peoples’ Democratic Party’s candidate for the February 2019 poll. Atiku beat competition from Sokoto State Governor, Aminu Tambuwal, Senate President Bukola Saraki and former Kano State governor Rabiu Kwankwaso.
Atiku’s emergence as the party’s candidate puts him in a firm position of being President Muhammadu Buhari’s toughest opponent going into the election year. He will fancy his chances against Buhari, whose administration the public has deemed unconvincing.
It’ll also be expected that Atiku, the man whose father was reportedly jailed for attempting to refuse him western education, would flex his financial power to make sure his presidential dream becomes a reality.
The man, Atiku Abubakar
Atiku was birthed almost 72 years ago, on November 25, 1946, in Jada village, Adamawa State. His mother, Aisha Kande, was the second wife of his Fulani father, Garba Abubakar. He had a sister who died at infancy, thus making him his parents’ only child.
When it was brought to the government’s notice that he was not attending mandatory schooling, Atiku’s father was jailed for a few days, until his maternal grandmother paid the fine.
At eight, he was eventually enrolled into Jada Primary School, and later attended Adamawa Provincial Secondary School, Yola, where he graduated in 1965. Atiku then attended Nigerian Police College, Kaduna.
He also obtained a Diploma at the School of Hygiene, Kano in 1967. He obtained another Law Diploma in 1969 at Ahmadu Bello University where he was admitted on a scholarship.
Atiku is married to four women, with whom he shares over 20 children.
Public Office and Political Ambition
Before Atiku dipped his feet into political matters, he had become an accomplished businessman. He started investing in real estate and exportation while he was a staff of the Nigeria Customs Service in early 70s.
He later secured a lucrative deal with an Italian businessman in Nigeria to set up Nigeria Container Services (NICOTES), later rebranded as INTELS, a logistics company operating within the Ports.
Atiku was later adopted by his political mentor, Shehu Musa Yar’Adua, who served as the Chief of Staff, Supreme Headquarters under General Olusegun Obasanjo’s military government from 1977 to 1979.
In 1990, he was disqualified from contesting the position of governor of Adamawa, after he had won the SDP primaries. It was in 1992 that Atiku first attempted to become president, coming third and losing to late M.K.O Abiola in SDP’s presidential primary election.
He was later elected governor of Adamawa in 1998, but was adopted as then PDP presidential candidate Obasanjo’s Vice before he could be sworn in. Obasanjo would later win the general election, and Atiku effectively became Vice President in 1999.
He would later have a public fallout with Obasanjo, over the latter’s alleged attempt to adjust the Nigerian constitution to suit his third term agenda. Since then, Atiku has made fruitless attempts to become president, switching political parties in the process.
After being embroiled in alleged corruption practices, he eventually came third as AC’s candidate in the April 2007 general poll, behind PDP candidate Umaru Yar’Adua and ANPP candidate Muhammadu Buhari.
Atiku tried for presidency again in 2011, but lost PDP’s ticket to former President Goodluck Jonathan. Again, in 2015, despite his defection from the PDP, his ambition was scuppered after President Buhari was picked as APC’s presidential candidate.
2019
The 2019 election presents Atiku with his best opportunity to lead Nigeria, and it’ll be interesting to see how the philanthropist fares against President Buhari.
Among other aspirants, he will be expected to give Buhari a run for his money, particularly as the incumbent has not impressed many Nigerians since he took over the affairs of the nation over three years ago.
Since his emergence as PDP’s candidate on Sunday, Atiku has quickly started to make early promises on how he intends to make Nigeria a country which makes life easier for the masses.
“Our task is clear, and it is to ensure every Nigerian can earn a decent living, get a job, create wealth and live peacefully anywhere they reside in this blessed country. We will do this together,” he said Monday.
Whether the general populace would trust the man whose education was nearly denied by his own father with their votes in 2019 remains to be seen.
