Abubakar Atiku Bagudu Explained

Abubakar Atiku Bagudu
Office:Minister of Budget and Economic Planning
President:Bola Tinubu
Term Start:21 August 2023
Predecessor:Zainab Ahmed
Office1:Governor of Kebbi State
Term Start1:29 May 2015
Term End1:29 May 2023
Deputy1:Samaila Yombe Dabai
Predecessor1:Usman Saidu Nasamu Dakingari
Successor1:Nasir Idris
Office2:Senator for Kebbi Central
Term Start2:2009
Term End2:29 May 2015
Predecessor2:Adamu Aliero
Successor2:Adamu Aliero
Birth Date:26 December 1961
Party:All Progressives Congress (2014–present)
Otherparty:Peoples Democratic Party (before 2014)
Alma Mater:
Occupation:Politician

Abubakar Atiku Bagudu (born 26 December 1961) is a Nigerian politician who is the current Nigerian minister of budget and economic planning. He served as governor of Kebbi State from 2015 to 2023.[1] [2] [3] He also served as the senator representing the Kebbi Central senatorial district from 2009 to 2015.

Life and education

Atiku Bagudu is from a wealthy family, his father was the director of Primary education in Kebbi State. He obtained a BSc (Economics) degree from Usmanu Danfodiyo University, Sokoto, Msc (Economics) from the University of Jos and M.A. (International Affairs). He is married to Zainab Bagudu.[4]

Political career

In 2009, Bagudu succeeded Adamu Aliero when he won the by-election for the Kebbi Central Senatorial seat following Aliero's appointment by President Goodluck Jonathan to become the Minister for FCT in December 2008.[5] 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.[6]

During the 2015 general elections, Atiku Bagudu moved from the ruling PDP to the All Progressives Congress (APC) and contested in the governorship election, winning a landslide victory in the polls.

In the 9 March 2019 Kebbi State gubernatorial election, Bagudu polled 673,717 votes, while his rival Sen. Isah Galaudu of PDP polled 106,633 votes.[7]

Bagudu contested and won the ticket of the All Progressives Congress (APC) for the 2023 Kebbi Central Senatorial election.[8] He lost the election to PDP incumbent Adamu Aliero who had previously moved from the APC, after losing the primaries.

He was appointed minister of budget and economic planning by president Bola Tinubu on 16 August 2023[9]

Corruption

Bagudu was a known associate of former Nigerian dictator Sani Abacha, who was accused of stealing more than $2.2 billion of public funds during his five-year tenure as Nigerian president in the 1990s.[10] In 2003, Bagudu was arrested and extradited from Houston, Texas at the request of Jersey, where Bagudu had set up a shell company called Doraville Properties to launder funds stolen from Nigeria.[11] Bagudu eventually reached a settlement, agreeing to return $160 million of stolen money in exchange for deportation to Nigeria to face trial.[12] Despite the considerable evidence from legal authorities in the U.S., Jersey, and Switzerland, Bagudu was never questioned after returning to Nigeria.[13]

In 2014, the U.S. Department of Justice announced the repatriation of $480 million stolen by Sani Abacha and his co-conspirators. In its complaint, the U.S. government alleged that Sani Abacha, his son Mohammed Sani Abacha, their associate Abubakar Atiku Bagudu and others "embezzled, misappropriated and extorted billions of dollars from the government of Nigeria and others, then laundered their criminal proceeds through U.S. financial institutions and the purchase of bonds backed by the United States."[14] [15] In February 2020, the U.S. government entered into a trilateral agreement with Nigeria and Jersey to repatriate over $300 million in additional money that Bagudu played a role in stealing during the Abacha regime.[16] The U.S. announced that it was continuing to seek forfeiture of over $177 million in additional laundered funds held in trusts that name Bagudu and his relatives as beneficiaries.  Bagudu is immune from prosecution while governor.

Bagudu was one of the Nigerians unveiled by the 2021 Pandora Papers as hiding dirty money in offshore shell companies.[17] [18]

Award

In October 2022, the Nigerian national honour of Commander of the Order of the Niger (CON) was conferred on him by President Muhammadu Buhari.[19]

Notes and References

  1. Web site: Dailytrust News, Sports and Business, Politics Dailytrust. 2021-08-04. Daily Trust. en.
  2. Web site: 2019-03-10. Atiku Bagudu re-elected in Kebbi. 2021-08-04. P.M. News. en-US.
  3. Web site: The Executive Governor - Abubakar Atiku Bagudu The Official Website of Kebbi State Government . 2022-03-05 . www.kebbistate.gov.ng . 9 July 2021 . https://web.archive.org/web/20210709190417/https://www.kebbistate.gov.ng/governor/about . dead .
  4. Web site: 2020-04-11. Kebbi gov's wife sensitizes physically challenged persons on virus. 2021-09-26. The Guardian Nigeria News - Nigeria and World News. en-US.
  5. Web site: Top gladiators in the senatorial poll . Ayodele Ojo . 2011-08-04 . National Mirror . 2011-05-09 . usurped . https://web.archive.org/web/20120320175156/http://nationalmirroronline.net/politics/9668.html . 20 March 2012.
  6. Web site: Collated Senate results . INEC . 2011-05-08 . dead . https://web.archive.org/web/20110419203046/http://www.inecnigeria.org/downloads/?did=114 . 19 April 2011.
  7. Web site: Governor Bagudu wins APC ticket for Kebbi Central .
  8. Web site: Governor Bagudu Wins APC ticket for kebbi central .
  9. Web site: Tolu-Kolawole . Deborah . 2023-08-16 . Full list of ministers and designations . 2023-08-17 . Punch Newspapers . en-US.
  10. News: Associated Press. Late Nigerian Dictator Looted Nearly $500 Million, Swiss Say. 2004-08-19. The New York Times. 2020-02-07. en-US. 0362-4331.
  11. Web site: Abacha Loot: US, Jersey, repatriate N112 billion laundered by Kebbi governor, Bagudu. Ibekwe. Nicholas. 2020-02-04. en-GB. 2020-02-07.
  12. Web site: StAR - Stolen Asset Recovery Initiative - Corruption Cases - Sani Abacha / Abubakar Bagudu. star.worldbank.org. 2020-02-07.
  13. Web site: How Kebbi Governor, Abubakar Bagudu, was arrested in America. Ibekwe. Nicholas. 2019-09-21. en-GB. 2020-02-07.
  14. Web site: U.S. Forfeits Over $480 Million Stolen by Former Nigerian Dictator in Largest Forfeiture Ever Obtained Through a Kleptocracy Action. 2014-08-28. www.justice.gov. en. 2020-02-07.
  15. News: U.S. takes control of $480 million stolen by Nigerian dictator Abacha. 2014-08-07. Reuters. 2020-02-07. en.
  16. Web site: U.S. Enters into Trilateral Agreement with Nigeria and Jersey to Repatriate Over $300 Million to Nigeria in Assets Stolen by Former Nigerian Dictator General Sani Abacha. 2020-02-03. www.justice.gov. en. 2020-02-07.
  17. Web site: PANDORA PAPERS: How Governor Bagudu amassed dirty billions and how he is hiding it Premium Times Nigeria.
  18. Web site: 2023-08-29 . Nigerian president appoints new minister accused of helping a former dictator launder looted billions . ICIJ . en-US.
  19. Web site: 2022-10-09 . FULL LIST: 2022 National Honours Award Recipients The Nation Newspaper . 2022-10-31 . en-US.