I’m Nigerian by birth, says Atiku

The Peoples Democratic Party’s candidate in the February 23 presidential election, Alhaji Atiku Abubakar, has denied the All Progressives Congress’ allegation that he is not eligible to contest because he was not born in Nigeria.

Atiku stated this in a response to the APC’s reply to the petition he and his party jointly filed before the Presidential Election Petitions Tribunal.

He said he was born on November 25, 1946, in Jada, Adamawa State, therefore he was a Nigerian.

The APC had alleged in its response that as of November 25, 1946, when Atiku was born, Jada, was part of  Northern Cameroon.

But Atiku insisted that he was a Nigerian citizen, adding that his parents were also Nigerians by birth.

He said while his father, Garba Atiku Abdulkadir, hailed from Wumo in the present-day Sokoto State, his mother, Aisha Kande, hailed from Dutse, now Jigawa State.

– Punch