Nigeria’s former vice president Atiku Abubakar has been selected as the presidential candidate for the opposition Peoples Democratic Party (PDP), launching his sixth attempt to win the nation’s highest office. The 75-year-old businessman, who served under President Olusegun Obasanjo from 1999 to 2007, now faces political divisions and legal scrutiny as he campaigns.
The PDP, which governed Nigeria from 1999 to 2015, faced internal disputes over the nomination. Southern members expressed frustration over the selection, as the party’s tradition of zoning leadership between northern and southern regions was reportedly bypassed. Abubakar secured the candidacy after 12 rivals withdrew, including a southern governor who endorsed him in 2022.
Abubakar’s campaign is shadowed by allegations of corruption. Former President Obasanjo described him as a "shameless liar" in his 2019 memoir, citing issues of disloyalty and poor judgment. U.S. investigators linked Abubakar to a 2010 offshore transfer scheme involving his wife, with $1.7 million tied to bribes from German firm Siemens AG, which paid a $1.6 billion fine in 2008 for global bribery charges.
His U.S. visa history complicates his campaign. Abubakar was banned from entering the country in 2007 due to his involvement in the William Jefferson bribery case, where the former U.S. congressman was convicted in 2009. A temporary visa waiver was granted in 2019 amid pressure from Nigerian lobbyists ahead of the 2019 election.
Abubakar’s campaign emphasizes national unity, with supporters like Sokoto State Governor Aminu Tambuwal stepping down to endorse him. "It is not always about an individual; it must always be about our country," Tambuwal stated. Abubakar pledged to "rebuild and unite" Nigeria if elected, tweeting, "Today, the march to rebuild and unite our great country moves forward."