Atiku Abubakar Recounts Surviving Assassination Attempt

Former Vice President and founder of the American University of Nigeria (AUN), Atiku Abubakar, has recounted a harrowing experience of surviving an assassination attempt in Kaduna State, emphasising the role of courage and determination in overcoming adversity.

Addressing the AUN graduating class of 2025, Atiku vividly recalled the terrifying incident, saying he hid his wife and children in a wardrobe while confronting the attackers. Despite being shot at, Atiku said the assassins missed their target.

“I hid my wife and children in a wardrobe and stepped forward to confront the attackers. They shot at me but missed. I stood up and demanded, ‘Why did you fire?’ That’s what courage looks like,” he said, reflecting on the resilience required to face such a terrifying ordeal.

The former Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) presidential candidate also spoke about the political challenges he faced during Nigeria’s military dictatorship.

He revealed how the regime once offered him a governorship position without an election, but he rejected the offer, opting instead for a path that allowed him to earn the position of Vice President in 1999.

“I’ve faced tribulations. I’ve been hunted, but I never wavered. Patience is not weakness. It is a weapon of the wise. When we resisted military dictatorship, they offered me a governorship without an election, I rejected it. In 1999, I earned it the right way and became Vice President,” Atiku explained.

Atiku also paid tribute to his mentor, the late General Shehu Musa Yar’Adua, whose own bravery in the face of adversity left a lasting impression on him.

He shared a poignant memory of Yar’Adua’s calmness despite being sentenced to death, stating, “His blood pressure was normal on the day of his scheduled execution. That’s a soldier. That’s courage.”