ABUBAKAR, Atiku (GCON)

Born November 25, 1946
in

Jada, Jada LGA, Adamawa State;

Alhaji

ABUBAKAR

Atiku

Atiku Abubakar is the former Vice President of the Federal Republic of Nigeria, 1999-2007, under President Olusegun Obasanjo representing the People's Democratic Party (PDP). Atiku Abubakar worked in the Nigerian 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 ran for the office of Governor in the Gongola State (now Adamawa and Taraba States) in 1991, and for the Presidency in 1993, placing third after MKO Abiola and Babagana Kingibe in the Social Democratic Party (SDP) primaries. In 1998, he was elected Governor of Adamawa State. While still Governor-Elect, he was selected by the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) Presidential Candidate, Olusegun Obasanjo as his running mate. The duo went on to win elections in February 1999, and Atiku Abubakar was sworn-in as Nigeria's second democratically elected Vice President on May 29, 1999. He presided over the National Council on Privatization, overseeing the sale of hundreds of loss-making and poorly managed public enterprises. On November 25, 2006, Atiku Abubakar announced that he would run for President. On December 20, 2006, he was chosen as the Presidential Candidate of the Action Congress (AC). However, Atiku Abubakar came third place, behind PDP Candidate, Umaru Yar'Adua and ANPP Candidate, Muhammadu Buhari, with approximately 7% of the vote (2.6 million votes). Following the 2007 elections, Atiku Abubakar returned to the People's Democratic Party (PDP). In October 2010, Atiku Abubakar announced his intention to contest for the Presidency. On November 22, 2010, 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. In January 2011, Atiku Abubakar contested for the Presidential ticket of his party alongside President Goodluck Jonathan and Sarah Jubril, He lost the primary to President Goodluck Jonathan. On February 2, 2014, Atiku Abubakar left the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) to the join All Progressives Congress (APC) with the intent of contesting for the Nigerian presidency in 2015 on the party's platform. He however, lost to the APC primaries to President Muhammadu Buhari. Atiku Abubakar announced his exit from the All Progressives Congress (APC) on Friday, November 24, 2017 and on December 3, 2017, Atiku Abubakar via a Facebook Live broadcast, announced his return to the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP). He officially declared his intention to run for the 2019 presidential election on the platform of the Peoples Democratic Party, (PDP) on March 27, 2018. Atiku Abubakar became the presidential Flagbearer for the People's Democratic Party for the 2019 general election on October 7, 2018, by polling 1,532 defeating the 11 other contestants.
Gender: Male
Marital Status
  • Married
Name of Spouse Amina Titilayo Albert (1971) , Saadatu Ladi Yakubu (1979) , Princess Rukaiyatu (1983) , Fatima Shettima (1986) (Divorced) , Barr (Dr) Jennifer Jamilah Atiku-Abubakar
State of Origin: Adamawa State
Father's Name Garba Abubakar (d. 1957)
Father's Status Deceased
Mother's Name Aisha Kande (d. 1984)
Mother's Status Deceased
Number of Male Children 10
Number of Female Children 18

Atiku is married to four wives and is blessed with 28 children. He met his first wife, Titilayo Albert at Idi-Iroko when she was 19 years and secretly married her in December, 1971. Titilayo’s children are Fatima, Adamu, Halima and Aminu.

Thereafter, he married his second wife, Ladi Yakubu in January 1979. Ladi gave birth to Atiku, Abba, Zainab, Ummi-Hauwa, Maryam and Rukaiyatu.

Following Ladi is Princess Rukaiyatu, the daughter of late Lamido of Adamawa whom he married in 1983. Princess Rukaiyatu gave birth to Aisha, Hadiza, Aliyu, Asmau, Mustafa, Laila and Abdulsalam.

In 1986, he married his fourth wife, Fatima Shettima. She is the mother of Amina, Mohammed, two sets of twins, Ahmed and Shehu, Zainab and Aisha, and then Hafsat, her last daughter.

Afterwards, Atiku divorced Ladi Yakubu and married Jennifer Iwenjiora Doughlas, a lawyer.

Profession Administrator , Astute Businessman , Philantropist , Politician , Elder Statesman
Working Experience Appointed Tax Officer, Northern Nigeria Ministry of Finance, 1966, later joined the Nigerian Customs and Excise Department, held various positions, retired from the Federal Civil Service as Deputy Director of Customs, 1989; Director, Gese Derdirabe Farms Limited, since1982; Co-founder, Nigeria Container Services (NICOTES) now INTELS (an oil servicing business with extensive operations in Nigeria and abroad), since 1989; Founder, American University of Nigeria (AUN), Yola, Adamawa State, since 1992; Founder, Prodeco, since 1996; elected Governor, Adamawa State, relinquished same position, 1999; became Vice President, Federal Republic of Nigeria, 1999-2007; Founder, Adama Beverages Limited, Yola, Adamawa State; Director, Niwacos Nigeria Limited; Director, Interfluid Nigeria Limited; Director, Hints Ville Savings & Loans Limited; Director, Mid-Atlantic Capital Limited; Member, World Citizens of Paris, France; Member, and Sponsor, World Constitution & Parliament Association.

Presidential Candidate, People's Democratic Party

Jada Senior Boarding Primary School, Jada, Adamawa State, 1958-60; Adamawa Provincial Secondary School (now General Murtala Mohammed College), Yola, Adamawa State, 1961-65; Nigerian Police College, Kaduna State; School of Hygiene, Kano, Kano State, 1966-1967; Ahmadu Bello University, Zaria, Kaduna State, 1967-69; The Advanced Customs and Excise Course for Senior Officers, Finland; Cairo Police Academy, Egypt, 1986.
Tertiary
Yes

MEMBERSHIP OF POLITICAL PARTIES AND OFFICES HELD:

– People’s Front of Nigeria (PFN), 1989 (National Vice-Chairman);
– People’s Democratic Movement (PDM);
– Defunct Social Democratic Party (SDP), 1991-1993;
– Defunct United Nigeria Congress Party;
– People’s Democratic Party (PDP), 1998–2006 (Vice-President);
– Action Congress (AC), 2006–2009;
– People’s Democratic Party (PDP), 2009–2013,
– All Progressives Congress (APC), 2013–2017;
– People’s Democracy Party (PDP), 2017 till date (Presidential Candidate)

TRADITIONAL TITLES:

– Turbanned Turaki Adamawa, 1982;
– Nwanne Dinamba of Umuohiagu, Imo State, 1989;
– Sardauna of Ganiye Town, Adamawa State;
– Baagbile Oke-Ona of Egba;
– Aare Adimula of Ife;
– Atunluse of Ijesa Land;
-Waziri Adamawa.

AWARDS AND HONOURS:

– Grand Commander of the Order of the Niger, (GCON);
– Harris Wofford Global Citizen Award by National Peace Corps Association (NPCA);
– Honourary Fellowship Award, Federal Polytechnic, Auchi, June 2002.

PUBLICATIONS:

– “Atiku: The Story of Atiku Abubakar”, by Onukaba Adinoyi-Ojo.
– “My Life”.

HOBBIES:

Reading, Travelling, Current affairs.

ADDITIONAL INFORMATION:
During his schooldays, Atiku Abubakar served as President Emeritus of the student union of the School of Hygiene, Kano. He was also Assistant Secretary during the 1966-1967 session.

Abubakar ran for Nigeria presidential office under Social Democratic Party in 1992. Eventually, he came third in the convention primaries, losing to MKO Abiola and Babagana Kinigbe.

Atiku announced his Gongola state gubernatorial run on 1st September 1990. However, in 1991 before the election could hold, the Federal Government divided Gongola state into two – Adamawa and Taraba States. Abubakar fell into Adamawa state. Fortunately, he won the SDP primaries in November 1991 but was disqualified from contesting in the election.

In 1998, he contested as the governor of Adamawa state under People’s Democratic Party and won. However, before his swearing in, he accepted to be the running mate of PDP’s presidential candidate, Olusegun Aremu Obasanjo.

Atiku was sworn in as the vice president of Nigeria on 29th May 1999. He worked together with South African Deputy President, Jacob Zuma to launch South Africa Nigeria Binational Commission. In 2006, he had a clash with President Olusegun Obasanjo over his intention to amend the constitution, which will allow him to run for presidency for the third time.

On December 20, 2006, Action Congress (AC) selected Atiku as their presidential candidate. Thereafter, the Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC) omitted Atiku’s name in the final list of 24 aspirants for the April 21 Presidential election. Apparently, his name was omitted because a panel set up by the government listed him among corrupt persons in Nigeria. However, Abubakar contested the action in court on March 16. At the long run, the supreme court ruled in his favour and he was able to contest.

After the election, Atiku came third, behind Umaru Musa Yar’Adua, PDP candidate and Muhammadu Buhari, ANPP candidate. He also contested for president during the 2011 elections. This time, under the PDP. However, he lost at the primaries to President Goodluck Ebele Jonathan.

In 2018, Atiku announced his interest to contest as Nigeria President under PDP. He won the party’s nomination on October 7 at its convention. He also defeated other contestants with 1,532 votes, leading the Governor of Sokoto state Aminu Tambuwal by 839 votes. Unfortunately, he lost to President Buhari on February 27, 2019.

TWITTER:

FACEBOOK:
https://www.facebook.com/Atiku.org

WEBSITE:
http://atiku.org/aa/
http://atiku.org/policydocument/

+234 803 763 1587
Alive
Last Update

“Please send your updated CV to: [email protected]” – Editor

© Blerf

All entries available on this Website shall be updated from time to time in order to add, modify or amend the information or contents of an existing entry. Accordingly, no legal proceedings whatsoever shall be entertained by the biographer on account of any information deemed to be inadequate or incomplete.

CONTACT US

We're not around right now. But you can send us an email and we'll get back to you, asap.

Sending

©2024 Biographical Legacy and Research Foundation. Powered by 24hubs

Log in with your credentials

Forgot your details?