Abubakar Abubakar Ahmed

Abubakar Abubakar Ahmed (born 25 November 1946) is a Nigerian politician and businessman from Adamawa State, originally from Jada village, Adamawa State. He served as Nigeria’s vice president from 1999 to 2007 under Olusegun Obasanjo and ran unsuccessfully for governor of Adamawa State in 1990 and 1996 before winning in 1998. Before his vice presidency, he was selected as Obasanjo’s running mate in the 1999 presidential election and re-elected in 2003.

Abubakar ran six times for the presidency of Nigeria, unsuccessfully in 1993, 2007, 2011, 2015, 2019, and 2023. He contested in the Social Democratic Party primaries in 1993, losing to Moshood Abiola and Baba Gana Kingibe. In the 2007 election, he ran as an Action Congress candidate and finished third. He contested the 2011 primaries of the People’s Democratic Party (PDP) but lost to Goodluck Jonathan. In 2015, he joined the All Progressives Congress (APC) before losing to Muhammadu Buhari in the primaries. He returned to the PDP in 2017 and was its presidential candidate in 2019, again losing to Buhari. After winning the 2023 PDP primaries against Nyesom Wike, he finished second in the general election, though he joined opposition calls for a revote.

Born on 25 November 1946 in Jada, Adamawa State (then part of the British Cameroons), Abubakar’s father, Garba Abubakar, was a Fulani trader and farmer, while his mother was Aisha Kande. His naming was inspired by his paternal grandfather, Atiku Abdulqadir from Wurno, Sokoto State, who migrated to Kojoli village near Jada. His maternal grandfather, Inuwa Dutse, came from Dutse, Jigawa State. He became an only child after his sister died in infancy. His father died by drowning in 1957 while crossing a river to Toungo, a neighboring village.