2023 presidential candidate of the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP), Atiku Abubakar, has said he will continue to vie for the number one office in the land as long as he is alive and healthy.
Justifying the number of times he had contested without making headway, the former vice-president said even the former President of the United States, Abraham Lincoln contested seven times before his eventual victory.
Atiku said this during an interview on the Hausa service of the Voice of America.
“Of course, I will keep contesting again and again as long as I am alive and healthy,” Atiku said. “Even the former US President Abraham Lincoln contested seven times before finally winning.”
The 77-year-old, who will be 81 in 2027 for the country’s next general election, also spoke about the current crisis in the PDP, affirming that its members have to be united to win the election.
“However, given the current state of the PDP, it is clear that a single-handed effort will not suffice to win the election. Strong support and collaboration with other parties are required,” he added.
Last week, Abubakar said he was engaging Peter Obi, presidential candidate of the Labour Party (LP) in the 2023 election, on the possibility of a merger.
“This is to anybody that thinks there is going to be a misunderstanding between me and Obi, let me assure you that not even a small issue is going to happen between us,” Abubakar said.
“Also, we are going to be behind anybody that will be chosen to represent us in the forthcoming elections.
“I have made it clear in my previous speeches that if our parties are going to merge to agree on a candidate from the south-east, as long as he is qualified, we will allow it.”
Atiku has made six attempts to be the President of Nigeria, in 1993, 2007, 2011, 2015, 2019, and 2023. He ran in the Social Democratic Party presidential primaries in 1993, but lost to the late business mogul and politician, Moshood Abiola.
He was a presidential candidate of the Action Congress in the 2007 presidential election coming in third to Umaru Yar’Adua of the PDP and Muhammadu Buhari of the All Nigeria Peoples Party.
He then contested the presidential primaries of the PDP during the 2011 presidential election losing out to incumbent President Goodluck Jonathan.
In 2014, he joined the All Progressives Congress ahead of the 2015 presidential election and contested the presidential primaries losing to Muhammadu Buhari. In 2017, he returned to the PDP and was the party presidential candidate during the 2019 presidential election, again losing to incumbent President Muhammadu Buhari.
The latest contest Atiku participated in was in 2023 where lost to President Bola Tinubu.
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