With barely one year to the 2023 general elections, a former vice president, Alhaji Atiku Abubakar has revealed when he will make his official declaration of interest.
Atiku, a 2019 presidential candidate has been rumoured to be interested in vying for the number one position in the land.
Meanwhile, there are indications that all is set for Atiku as a letter of notification signed by the Chairman, Technical Committee of the Atiku 2023 Presidentialk.c/Sx Project, High Chief Raymond Dokpesi, revealed that the former vice president will make his declaration on Wednesday, 23rd of March, 2022.
In the letter notification, it was revealed that Atiku will declare his intention at the International Conference Centre in Abuja on Wednesday, at about 11AM.
The letter reads in part: “It is with great delight and respect that the Technical Committee, TEECOM cordially invites you to the official declaration for the Office of the President, Federal Republic of Nigeria, 2023 by His Excellency, Atiku Abubakar, GCON, Wazirin Adamawa, Vice President, Federal Republic of Nigeria (1999-2007).
“The historic event will hold at the International Conference Centre, Abuja on Wednesday, March 23, 2022 at 11AM. Your presence will certainly add colour to the event as we expect your presence at the ceremony.”
The New Diplomat reports that Atiku, who has been eyeing the highest seat in the land since about three decades now, has unsuccessfully contested five times for the office of President of Nigeria. He first contested in 1993 and contested again 2007, 2011, 2015 and 2019 presidential elections respectively.
In 1993, he contested in the Social Democratic Party (SDP) presidential primaries losing to Moshood Abiola and Baba Gana Kingibe. He also contested in the 2007 presidential election under the platform of the Action Congress and was defeated by Umaru Yar’Adua of the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP).
He contested the presidential primaries of the PDP during the 2011 presidential election losing out to former President Goodluck Jonathan, who later went on to win the election. In 2014, he joined the All Progressives Congress(APC) ahead of the 2015 presidential election and contested the presidential primaries where he lost to Muhammadu Buhari, who also went to emerge as the president.
In 2017, he returned to the PDP and was the party’s presidential candidate during the 2019 presidential election, which he lost to Buhari.
