2023: I’m contesting to pave way for youths — Atiku

Former vice president of Nigeria, Atiku Abubakar, has claimed he is contesting for the presidency come 2023 to pave way for Nigerian youths.

The ex-governor of Adamawa state stated this on Tuesday when he hosted representatives of Atiku Abubakar Support Groups that converged on Abuja to map out strategies to convince PDP delegates and other party supporters to key into Atiku’s presidential ambition.

Narrating his political journey, Atiku said his quest to become the governor of Adamawa State hit a brick wall four times, saying he started active participation in politics in his late 30s. 

Speaking he said: “Leadership is a competition; it is not going to be easy. I also started the journey like some of you, in my late 30s, to run for governor alone, I ran four times before I eventually got elected.

“So you need to be determined, you need to be consistent, you need to be courageous.”

Atiku who was the Vice President for eight years between 1999 and 2007 contested for the presidency in 2019, but lost to the incumbent and candidate of the All Progressives Congress (APC), Muhammadu Buhari.

He formally declared to run come 2023 during an event at the International Conference Centre in Abuja late March.

In a tweet announcing his intention, Atiku said; “We will operate a liberal economy that allows small businesses to grow through lower taxes for small businesses and low-income earners,” he said in a series of tweets.

“Though we all have different lives and goals and desires we all want one future.

“Nigeria is a land of possibility. There is no challenging background that will make any Nigerian give up. I am a living witness to what is possible in Nigeria”.