Atiku Abubakar, former vice‑president and ex‑PDP presidential candidate, told Arise News on Wednesday that his fortune was amassed before he entered politics. He said his net worth, estimated between $1.2 billion and $1.5 billion, comes from investments in logistics, real estate, agriculture, education and oil and gas. "Before I went into politics, I was already in business. I was in oil and gas, logistics. I was in agriculture," he explained, adding that he operated across "a number of economic sectors of the country."
Atiku argued that his financial record has never faced corruption accusations because his earnings are transparent. He recalled that he helped create and fund the Peoples Democratic Party, asking, "Why was I not being accused of corruption at that time?" He also mentioned that former President Olusegun Obasanjo once set up a panel to investigate him, which included Nasir El‑Rufai and Nuhu Ribadu, and said, "I even waived my immunity and asked them to probe me."
Currently, Atiku is one of the leading contenders for the African Democratic Congress presidential ticket ahead of the 2027 general election.
Atiku's public insistence that his wealth predates his political career and his invitation for a probe signal a calculated attempt to distance himself from the corruption narrative that haunts many Nigerian politicians.
His claim rests on a history of diversified business ventures and a self‑described role in founding and financing the PDP, while even a panel led by former President Olusegun Obasanjo once examined his affairs. By foregrounding transparency, he seeks to position himself as a financially independent candidate for the ADC.
If voters accept his narrative, affluent businesspeople may see a pathway to political relevance without overt patronage, while ordinary Nigerians could view the contest as a test of whether wealth can be decoupled from political power.
The episode reflects a broader trend of Nigerian aspirants leveraging personal fortunes and past business credentials to bolster credibility ahead of elections.
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