Abubakar Atiku Bagudu

Abubakar Atiku Bagudu
Senator for Kebbi Central
Incumbent
Assumed office
January 2010
Preceded by Adamu Aliero
Personal details
Born 26 December 1961 (1961-12-26) (age 50)
Political party People's Democratic Party (PDP)

Abubakar Atiku Bagudu (born 26 December 1961) is a Nigerian politician who was elected Senator for the Kebbi Central constituency of Kebbi State, Nigeria in a by-election after Senator Adamu Aliero was appointed Minister of the Federal Capital Territory in December 2008. He ran successfully for reelection in the April 2011 national elections in the People's Democratic Party (PDP) platform.

Early career

Abubakar Atiku Bagudu was born on 26 December 1961.[1] Although Bagudu claimed to come from a wealthy family owning millions, in fact his father was formerly the director of Primary Education in Kebbi.[2] He obtained a BSc (Economics), Msc (Economics) and M.A. (International Affairs).[1]

Bagudu became a close friend of Ibrahim and Mohammed Abacha, sons of military ruler Sani Abacha.[3] He and Ibrahim Abacha were involved in a scheme to buy vaccines and resell them to the government at a steep mark-up, earning $66.6 million profit. Later, he helped divert much larger sums of money that had been earmarked for security spending into foreign accounts.[2]

After Abacha died in 1998, the interim military government that followed started an investigation into misuse of state funds. Mohammed Abacha and Abubakar Atiku Bagudu, his business manager, returned $750m. At that time, there were no criminal prosecution.[3] Bagudu moved to the USA in 2000, and in 2003 was detained there for six months on charges of financial misdeeds during the Abacha era. He was released in November 2003 on condition that he repaid about US$300 million to the Federal Government of Nigeria.[4] The administration of President Olusegun Obasanjo apparently made a deal to recover part of the money in return for dropping prosecution and leaving the remainder with the family.[5] Bagudu was Chairman of Phil Nugent Nigeria Ltd. from 2004 until December 2005.[1]

Senator

Bagudu succeeded Adamu Aliero when he won the by-election for the Kebbi Central Senatorial seat after Aliero was appointed minister for FCT.[6] In the 6 April 2011 elections, Bagudu won for the PDP with 173,595 votes. His predecessor Adamu Aliero, who had moved to the Congress for Progressive Change (CPC), came second with 137,299 votes and Aliyu Bello Mohammed of the Action Congress of Nigeria (ACN) trailed with 11,953 votes.[7]

References

  1. ^ a b c "SEN.BAGUDU ABUBAKAR ATIKU". The Senate of Nigeria. http://www.nassnig.org/nass/portfolio/profile.php?id=sen.abubakarbagudu. Retrieved 2011-05-09. 
  2. ^ a b Seyi Oduyela (October 16, 2004). "OWNERS OF NIGERIA". Dawodu. http://www.dawodu.com/oduyela12.htm. Retrieved 2011-05-09. 
  3. ^ a b "Britons hired by the Abachas". The Guardian (UK). 4 October 2001. http://www.guardian.co.uk/politics/2001/oct/04/uk.world. Retrieved 2011-05-09. 
  4. ^ "Nigeria: ABACHA'S CRONY TO REPAtriate N40 BILLION". Pambazuka News. 2003-12-11. http://www.pambazuka.org/en/category/corruption/18956. Retrieved 2011-05-09. 
  5. ^ "Before Mohammed Abacha Becomes Governor". ThisDay. 12 Feb 2011. http://www.thisdaylive.com/articles/before-mohammed-abacha-becomes-governor/86153/. Retrieved 2011-05-09. 
  6. ^ AYODELE OJO (8/04/2011). "Top gladiators in the senatorial poll". National Mirror. http://nationalmirroronline.net/politics/9668.html. Retrieved 2011-05-09. 
  7. ^ "Collated Senate results". INEC. http://www.inecnigeria.org/downloads/?did=114. Retrieved 2011-05-08.