2. Atiku Abubakar
Atiku Abubakar GCON (born 25 November 1946) is a Nigerian politician and businessman who served as the Vice President of Nigeria from 1999 to 2007 during the administration of Olusegun Obasanjo. He ran as governor of Adamawa State in 1990, 1997 and later, in 1998, being elected before becoming Olusegun Obasanjo’s running mate during the 1999 presidential election and re-elected in 2003.
Atiku Abubakar has fruitlessly challenged multiple times for the Office of President of Nigeria in 1993, 2007, 2011, 2015 and 2019. In 1993, he challenged the Social Democratic Party official primaries losing to Moshood Abiola and Baba Gana Kingibe. He was an official competitor of the Action Congress in the 2007 election coming in third to Umaru Yar’Adua of the PDP and Muhammadu Buhari of the ANPP. He challenged the official primaries of the People’s Democratic Party during the 2011 presidential election missing out to President Goodluck Jonathan. In 2014, he joined the All Progressives Congress ahead of the 2015 official political decision and contested for the presidential primaries losing to Muhammadu Buhari. In 2017, he got back to the Peoples Democratic Party and was the party presidential candidate during the 2019 presidential election, again losing to incumbent President Muhammadu Buhari. In May 2022, he was picked as the Peoples’ Democratic Party flagbearer for the 2023 Nigerian presidential race.
Weaknesses
Uncommitted: An article by Sani Tukur of Premium Times, accessible at Premium Times, view Atiku as a man who cannot stand his ground based on his series of defection to rival parties in event of losing. A man who cannot stand and fight should not be deemed fit to rule a nation lest we have a new Buharist who seeks to pacify all and sundry.
Perceived as Corrupt: Obasanjo, in his collection of memoirs, My Watch, Volume 2, had discussed Atiku “…his propensity to corruption, tendency to disloyalty, inability to say and stick with the truth all the time… lack of transparency, his trust in money to buy his way out of all issues and readiness to sacrifice morality, integrity, propriety truth and national interest for self and selfish interest.” Likewise, another charge is the US Senate report on Atiku. The report itemized how Atiku was exposed to test a long time back by the US Senate and was found to have utilized offshore organizations to siphon a large number of dollars to his fourth spouse in the US, Jenifer Douglas during his tenure as vice president. The case is said to include more than $40 million and in 2004 the then US president Bush banished Atiku from being given visa into the US.
Age: Currently, Atiku is 75 years. In a period where Nigerians are agitating for a more youthful pioneer who will serve the interest of the country longer to be in power. With him having past retirement age, Atiku is probably going to lose the votes of instigators for youth administration. While additionally thinking about that septuagenarian in the administration like the occupant Buhari have experienced a few health issues which could be connected with the thorough idea of the job.
Strengths
A Businessman: Atiku have gained massive followers because he is perceived to have a strong economic competence, a skill that the current Buhari-led Federal Government is frightfully deficient. The need for financial administration expertise had in mid-2016 dove the Nation’s economy into downturn, with the BBC detailing that the economy contracted 2.06% among April and June that year; making it the most terrible and longest downturn beginning around 1987. Many even compare Atiku with Donald Trump for the believe he will have the trump card in terms of economic competence.
Rich Political Experience: As a one-time vice president of the federal republic of Nigeria under Olusegun Obasanjo and having regulated the successors of the organization. Atiku is appraised to have acquired a rich comprehension of the idea of administration and organization.
Love for Education and Research: Atiku is a man who have been significantly recognize for his love of education. He has been an attendee to various classes and gatherings on the requirement for rebuilding for a superior Nigeria. In 2011, the National Peace Corps Association (NPCA) a non-profit organisation, separate from the Peace Corps, that serves as an alumni association for Returned Peace Corps Volunteers honoured Abubakar with the Harris Wofford Global Citizen Award describing Atiku as a business in Africa that has worked hard and contributed more to the progress of higher education.
