Atiku Abubakar

thumb|Abubakar in 2003 Atiku Abubakar 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. He ran for the office of governor of Adamawa State in 1990 and 1996 unsuccessfully, but won in 1998. Before he was sworn in, he was selected as running mate to former military leader, Olusegun Obasanjo, during the 1999 presidential election and was re-elected in 2003. Atiku Abubakar ran unsuccessfully for President of Nigeria six times, in 1993, 2007, 2011, 2015, 2019, and 2023. He ran in the Social Democratic Party presidential primaries in 1993, but lost 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. 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. Quotes I represent both the past and the future. We have seen various levels of leadership, both young and old. I believe expectations of young leadership have been below what we thought; they require experience and tutelage from the older generation. Sometimes you need to be in power to give that tutelage. Look at the experience. We have had many young governors who have failed woefully when it comes to governance. They require learning from experience. I don’t think I could have learned as much if I were a president as I learned being Vice President to President Obasanjo, who came with tremendous experience from being a military head of state. When the PDP lost the last election, I told them I didn’t see a future for the PDP unless there was a broad-based coalition. The PDP leadership disagreed because they didn’t want to see my face, not because of what I was proposing. Now they have found themselves in the same position. A number of things. Deepening our democratic institutions and the issue of separation of powers under the constitution. We are concerned that the presidency has almost turned various institutions meant for checks and balances into one roof, which is dangerous. Our first option in the coalition is to work out a consensus. If that doesn’t emerge, then we go for a direct election. I will support anybody who emerges. I will step aside for any winner, including Peter Obi. If he is a contender, why not? Politics is either through democracy or consensus. The North appears even more united now than fragmented. It remains my major political base. I won more northern states than any other states in the last election. The majority of the North will always come together, and I am the person to bring them together. I should have supported Dr. Alex Ekwueme’s proposal for a rotational presidency. It would have rotated to all zones in the country, which is the most equitable provision. If I became president, I would move toward that amendment for the stability of the country. I will not discuss my strategy here, but a coalition candidate facing Bola Tinubu is “dead on arrival.” If each leader in this coalition brings their zone to electoral victory, where will Bola stand? "Nigeria is not working as well as it should and part of the reason is the way we have structured our country and governance." Atiku Abubakar speaking on restructuring Nigeria. "We must refrain from the habit of assuming that anyone calling for the restructuring of our federation is working for the breakup of the country." Atiku Abubakar speaking on restructuring and national unity. "An excessively powerful centre does not equate with national unity. If anything, it has made our unity more fragile, our government more unstable and our country more unsafe." Atiku Abubakar discussing federalism and national unity. "We must renegotiate our union in order to make it stronger." Atiku Abubakar speaking on constitutional reform. "The restructuring I want to see happen is changing the structure of our country to take power from the elite and give it back to whom it belongs: the people." Atiku Abubakar discussing the purpose of restructuring. "Political decentralization will help to deepen and strengthen our democracy because citizens are more likely to demand accountability when governments spend their tax money." Atiku Abubakar speaking on political decentralization. "True federalism will encourage states to compete, attract investments and skilled workers rather than merely waiting for monthly revenue allocation from Abuja." Atiku Abubakar speaking on true federalism. "Restructuring Nigeria's economy and polity is a necessity, not an option." Atiku Abubakar speaking at Chatham House on restructuring. "Some Nigerian states are poor not because they are not receiving a fair share of oil money but because they are not receiving a fair shot at true federalism." Atiku Abubakar discussing economic federalism. "I have never hidden my ambition to be president. My motivation is simple: I believe I have the experience and ideas to help Nigeria move in the right direction and achieve its potential." Atiku Abubakar discussing his presidential ambition. "Nigeria is a country that has been blessed with rich natural and human resources." Atiku Abubakar speaking on Nigeria's economic potential. External Links Category:Living people Category:1946 births Category:Politicians from Nigeria