LAGOS, July 22 (Xinhua) -- Atiku Abubakar, a former vice president of Nigeria, has officially joined the race for 2019 presidential election in the West African country under opposition People's Democratic Party (PDP).
Abubakar, who was vice president of Nigeria from 1999 to 2007, on Saturday formally declared his intention to vie for the presidential seat at a rally organized in the northeast city of Yola in Adamawa.
Abubakar, who said he would ensure Adamawa returns to PDP, added that the state was a PDP state and he would do all things possible to bring back the party to power in 2019.
He criticized the All Progressives Congress (APC) for failing Nigeria in areas of economy, security and job security, adding that he would address the the problem when elected president.
The National Chairman of PDP, Prince Uche Secondus described Atiku as a leading presidential aspirant in the party that has the capacity to dislodge APC in 2019.
Secondus assured all presidential aspirants level playing field and tasked APC on ensuring level playing field for all parties in 2019 general elections.
The former Vice President dumped Nigeria's ruling APC in November, 2017.
He had challenged President Muhammadu Buhari for the APC ticket in the build up to the 2015 elections.
The Nigerian statesman had wished for the highest office twice, after completing his tenure in office as a two-term vice president in 2007. This was preceded by his intention to run for the same office in 1993, more than two decades ago.
In 2007, he contested the presidential election on the platform of the defunct Action Congress of Nigeria (ACN). Shortly before the general elections of 2011, Abubakar returned to Nigeria's ruling People's Democratic Party (PDP) which he confounded, to contest for the same office.
