Former Vice President and Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) presidential candidate in 2023, Atiku Abubakar, has embarked on a business trip to Europe days after visiting former presidents in Nigeria.

Recall that Atiku returned to Nigeria, after some weeks abroad, on April 3, 2024 to attend the National Executive Committee (NEC) meeting of the opposition Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) which was held on April 18.

The then much-anticipated NEC meeting was meant to decide the fate of the party’s leadership, following allegations against the acting national chairman, Amb Illiya Damagum, of working for the ruling party as well as agitations by party stakeholders for a substantive chairman from North Central.

Although Atiku is known for staying abroad for months, as was the case shortly after the 2019 election, his recent trip to Europe comes barely days after he visited some leaders, namely former military president Gen Ibrahim Babangida; former head of state, Gen Abdulsalami Abubakar; and immediate past president, Muhammadu Buhari.

 

These visits have been interpreted, in some quarters, as signaling his ambition to contest the 2027 election, which, if he does, would be his 7th attempt since 1993.

 

However, a statement by his media aide, Paul Ibe, announcing Atiku’s trip to Europe said, “Nigeria’s leading opposition figure and former presidential candidate of the Peoples Democratic Party, Atiku Abubakar, has embarked on a business trip to Europe.

 

“The former Vice President departed from the Nnamdi Azikiwe International Airport in Abuja at 11 AM on Wednesday, the 26th of June, 2024 for his first port of call.

 

“He was accompanied to the airport by family members, friends, and associates.

 

“This morning, His Excellency Atiku Abubakar proceeded on a short foreign business trip. He will be back in the country soon,” the statement said.