Political Nomadic Journeys: Atiku Abubakar and Rabiu Musa Kwankwaso

By Okoi Obono-Obla

Political Nomadic Journeys: Atiku Abubakar and Rabiu Musa Kwankwaso:

Since 1998, when Nigeria began the transition programme to return the country to democratic civil rule after years of military interregnum, Atiku Abubakar has been a member of four political parties. He started with the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP), left it twice, and returned at different election cycles. He has also been part of the Action Congress of Nigeria (ACN), the All Progressives Congress (APC), and now the African Democratic Congress (ADC).

Dr. Rabiu Musa Kwankwaso has followed a similar trajectory. He began with the PDP, moved to the APC, returned to the PDP, then joined the New Nigeria Peoples Party (NNPP), and now the ADC.

Is this a case of birds of the same feather flocking together? What is the political DNA of these two men that compels them to consistently throw their hats into the presidential arena, flexing muscles against each other from 2015 to the present?

Atiku Abubakar’s presidential ambition dates back to 1992, when he sought the ticket of the defunct Social Democratic Party (SDP), one of the two parties created by military decree during General Ibrahim Babangida’s transition programme. He lost to Chief Moshood Abiola. In 1999, Atiku was elected Governor of Adamawa State, but before his inauguration, PDP’s presidential candidate Chief Olusegun Obasanjo nominated him as running mate. In 2003, Atiku sought the PDP presidential ticket against Obasanjo but was persuaded to step down. His relationship with Obasanjo remained frosty throughout the latter’s second term (2003–2007).

Defecting to the ACN, Atiku contested the 2007 presidential election against Umaru Musa Yar’Adua (PDP) and Muhammadu Buhari (ANPP). In 2010, he returned to the PDP and contested its presidential primaries in 2011 but lost to Goodluck Jonathan. In 2014, he joined the APC and contested its presidential primaries, losing to Buhari, with Kwankwaso placing second. In 2018, Atiku returned to the PDP, won its ticket, and contested the 2019 election against Buhari but lost. Again, he lost to Bola Ahmed Tinubu in the 2023 general election. From every indication, Atiku is on the verge of seeking the ADC’s presidential ticket in 2025.

This would set the stage for another clash with Kwankwaso, their third after the APC primaries in 2015 and the PDP primaries in 2019.

Conclusion:
The political journeys of Atiku Abubakar and Rabiu Musa Kwankwaso reveal a restless ambition and a refusal to retreat from the presidential contest. Their repeated defections and re-alignments underscore a shared resilience and determination to remain central players in Nigeria’s political theatre. Whether driven by conviction, opportunity, or sheer persistence, both men embody the spirit of political nomadism—always seeking, always striving, and always returning to the battlefield of presidential politics.