Former Vice President, Atiku Abubakar, has recounted how he survived an “assassination attempt” in Kaduna State, revealing that he hid his wife and children in a wardrobe while confronting the gunmen.
Speaking during his address to the American University of Nigeria (AUN) graduating class of 2025 in Yola, Atiku said the attackers opened fire at him but missed.
“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.
Atiku, who founded AUN, also recalled how Nigeria’s military regime once offered him a governorship position without an election, which he rejected.
“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,” he told the graduates.
He encouraged the students to embrace resilience and integrity in the face of adversity, saying, “I’ve faced tribulations. I’ve been hunted, but I never wavered.”
“Patience is not weakness. It is a weapon of the wise,” Atiku added, drawing from his experience in Nigeria’s turbulent political landscape.
He also paid tribute to his late mentor, General Shehu Musa Yar’Adua, recalling his calmness in the face of a death sentence.
“His blood pressure was normal on the day of his scheduled execution. That’s a soldier. That’s courage,” he said.
The speech, which combined personal memories with political history, was meant to inspire the graduates as they prepare for the challenges ahead.
