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.