Bagudu Abubakar Atiku is a Nigerian politician who contested the 2023 Nigerian Senate Elections as the All Progressives Congress (APC) candidate in Kebbi.

Biography

Abubakar Atiku Bagudu (born 26 December 1961) is a Nigerian politician who is the Nigerian Minister of Budget and Economic Planning. He served as Governor of Kebbi State from 2015 to 2023 and as Senator representing the Kebbi Central senatorial district from 2009 to 2015.

Atiku Bagudu is from a wealthy family, with his father serving as the Director of Primary Education in Kebbi State. He holds a BSc (Economics) from Usmanu Danfodiyo University, Sokoto, an MSc (Economics) from the University of Jos, and an M.A. (International Affairs). He is married to Zainab Bagudu.

In 2009, Bagudu succeeded Adamu Aliero in a by-election for the Kebbi Central Senatorial seat after Aliero’s appointment as Minister for FCT. He won the 2011 PDP election with 173,595 votes, defeating Adamu Aliero (CPC) and Aliyu Bello Mohammed (ACN). In 2015, he switched parties to APC and won the gubernatorial election, securing 673,717 votes in the 2019 election against Sen. Isah Galaudu (PDP). He contested the 2023 APC ticket for Kebbi Central Senatorial but lost to PDP incumbent Adamu Aliero, who previously switched parties. He was appointed Minister of Budget and Economic Planning by President Bola Tinubu on 16 August 2023.

As Governor, Atiku Bagudu focused on reviving Kebbi State’s economy, recovering stolen government funds, and eliminating ghost workers in the civil service. He launched initiatives to rebuild infrastructure, including roads, schools, hospitals, and rural power/water supply. His administration was known for pioneering the Treasury Single Account (TSA) in Kebbi State.