Atiku Abubakar (GCON) is a Nigerian businessman and politician who served as the 11th Vice President of Nigeria between 1999 and 2007. Over the years, he has contested the country’s highest office several times and remains one of the most prominent political figures in modern Nigeria.
Born on 25 November 1946 in Jada, British Cameroon—now part of Adamawa State—Atiku’s early life was shaped by modest beginnings. He lost his father, Garba Abubakar, to a drowning accident in 1957. His mother, Aisha Kande, raised him alone. Atiku was their only child.
His father initially opposed Western education, but local authorities compelled him to enroll Atiku in school. He began his education at Jada Primary School in 1960, later attended Adamawa Provincial Secondary School, and earned a Diploma from the School of Hygiene in Kano. He went on to study Law at Ahmadu Bello University’s Institute of Administration. During Nigeria’s civil war, he joined the Customs Service, where he served for two decades.
In 2021, he completed a Master’s degree in International Relations at Anglia Ruskin University in Cambridge, United Kingdom.
Political Career
Atiku’s political career began in the late 1980s when he joined the Peoples Front of Nigeria led by Shehu Musa Yar’Adua. He first ran for president in 1993 under the Social Democratic Party, losing the primary to Moshood Abiola and Baba Gana Kingibe.
He later ran for Governor of Adamawa State several times before winning the position in 1998. That victory was short-lived, as he was selected as the running mate to Olusegun Obasanjo in the 1999 presidential election. The ticket won, and Atiku became Vice President—a position he held for eight years.
Since then, Atiku has contested the presidency multiple times: in 2007 under the Action Congress, in 2011 with the People’s Democratic Party (PDP), in 2015 with the All Progressives Congress (APC), and again in 2019 with the PDP. In 2023, he returned as the PDP’s candidate, running alongside Delta State Governor Ifeanyi Okowa.
Family and Personal Life
Atiku Abubakar is married to four wives and has twenty-eight children. He has explained that his choice to have a large family came from a desire to give his children the companionship he lacked growing up as an only child.
His first wife, Titilayo Albert, whom he married in 1971 in Lagos, bore him four children: Fatima, Adamu, Halima, and Aminu. His second marriage to Ladi Yakubu in 1979 produced six children: Abba, Atiku, Zainab, Ummi-Hauwa, Maryam, and Rukaiyatu.
In 1983, he married Princess Rukaiyatu, daughter of the Lamido of Adamawa, Aliyu Mustafa. They have seven children together—Aisha, Hadiza, Aliyu, Asmau, Mustafa, Laila, and Abdulsalam. His fourth wife, Fatima Shettima, married him in 1986 and had several children, including Amina, Mohammed, and twins Ahmed and Shehu.
Atiku was also married to Jennifer Iwenjiora Douglas, but the marriage ended in 2021.
Business Ventures
Before entering politics, Atiku had already built a successful business career. He began investing in real estate in 1974, securing loans to build houses for rent. He also ventured into agriculture, acquiring 2,500 hectares of farmland near Yola, though that venture was not successful.
His breakthrough came through trade in rice, flour, and sugar, and later through his partnership with Italian businessman Gabrielle Volpi to create NICOTES—now Intels Nigeria Limited, a logistics company operating in Nigeria’s oil and gas industry.
Beyond Intels, Atiku owns Adama Beverages Limited, an animal feed factory, and is a key figure in the American University of Nigeria in Yola.
Wealth and Assets
Atiku Abubakar’s wealth has long been a subject of debate. Estimates place his net worth at around $1.8 billion. He is one of Africa’s wealthiest politicians, with extensive holdings in business and real estate.
He owns several properties in Nigeria and abroad, including homes in Abuja, Lagos, Adamawa, and Dubai. His car collection reportedly includes a Mercedes S550, a Lexus 570, a Toyota Land Cruiser, and a Range Rover.
He also owns an Embraer Phenom 100 private jet, valued at roughly $4.1 million.
Article updated 2 days ago. Content is written and modified by multiple authors.
