Atiku Abubakar

Biography

Atiku Abubakar has been part of almost every chapter of Nigeria’s Fourth Republic — Vice President for eight years, founder of a university, and a presidential contender in nearly every election since 1993. In 2027 he is running again, this time on the platform of the African Democratic Congress (ADC).

Career history

1. 1969

   He joined the Nigeria Customs Service in 1969 and spent about 20 years there, rising to Deputy Director before retiring in 1989.

2. 1993

   Atiku entered politics through the People’s Front, the movement led by the late General Shehu Musa Yar’Adua, and contested the SDP presidential primary in 1993, which was won by M.K.O.

3. 1998

   In 1998 he was elected governor of Adamawa State, but before he could be sworn in, Olusegun Obasanjo picked him as his running mate.

4. 1999

   They won, and Atiku served as Vice President from 1999 to 2007.

5. 2005

   In 2005 he founded the American University of Nigeria in Yola, one of the country’s best-known private universities.

6. 2007

   He left the PDP and ran for president in 2007 on the Action Congress platform, finishing third.

7. 2021

   Decades later, in 2021, he completed a master’s degree in international relations in the UK.

8. 2023

   After the 2023 loss, Atiku worked with other opposition figures to build a coalition against the ruling APC.

9. 2025

   In July 2025 the coalition adopted the African Democratic Congress (ADC) as its platform, and Atiku left the PDP.

10. 2026

    In June 2026 the party named Amaechi, former governor of Rivers State, as his running mate.

Quick facts