Atiku Abubakar Declares Interest For 2015 Presidential Election

Former Vice-President Atiku Abubakar has declared his intention to run in the 2015 presidential election. Atiku who defected from the ruling People’s Democratic Party, PDP during it’s convention to the All Progressives Congress will be vying for the position with the APC alongside other aspirants of the party..

His media aide, Malam Garba Shehu, said the campaign organisation will be headed by Professor Babalola Borisade, former minister of education.

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 Abubakar was sworn-in as Nigeria’s second democratically elected Vice President on May 29, 1999.

Abubakar’s second term as Vice President was marked by a stormy relationship with President Obasanjo. His bid to succeed Obasanjo did not receive the latter’s support, and it took a judgment of the Supreme Court to allow Abubakar contest after he was initially disqualified by the Independent National Electoral Commission on the grounds that he had been indicted for financial misconduct by an investigating panel set up at Obasanjo’s behest.

The Supreme Court decision ordered the electoral commission to restore Abubakar’s name onto the presidential ballot. Abubakar ran on the platform of the Action Congress, having quit the PDP on account of his issues with President Obasanjo. Atiku lost the election, placing third after Umaru Yar’Adua and Muhammadu Buhari of the All Nigeria Peoples Party (ANPP).

Atiku is a co-founder of Intels, an oil servicing business with extensive operations in Nigeria and abroad. He is also the founder of Adama Beverages Limited, and the American University of Nigeria (AUN), both in Yola.

Details of  his declaration will follow shortly…