Nigeria’s former vice president Atiku Abubakar said he will run for president in next year's election.
Mr Abubakar, 75, a member of the main opposition People's Democratic Party, made the announcement at a briefing in the capital, Abuja, on Wednesday.
“I am happy to announce my candidacy for president,” Mr Abubakar said.
He promised to “rescue” Africa’s most populous country, which he said has been “left behind” by the continent and the world, AP reported.
The West African nation is scheduled to hold a presidential vote in February 2023.
Mr Abubakar seeks to succeed President Muhammadu Buhari, who will complete his second and final term in May 2023.
Speaking to supporters in Abuja, Mr Abubakar said he is “the unifier that is coming to bound the broken union” of a nation deeply divided along religious and ethnic lines.
The business mogul was the nation's vice president from 1999 to 2007 and this is the sixth time he has run for president.
He ran against Mr Buhari as the PDP’s presidential candidate in 2019, obtaining 41 per cent of the ballots cast, against Mr Buhari’s 55 per cent.
He later mounted an unsuccessful legal challenge to the outcome of the election.
“This time around is different, our journey will not end at the poll. We will get to work and rescue Nigeria,” Mr Abubakar said to cheers.
“Let our stories be told for generations to come that we are the ones that rescued Nigeria when it was on the verge of fatal destruction.”
The political landscape is partly dominated by the ruling All Progressives Congress party which controls the executive arm of government and holds majority seats in both the Senate and House of Representatives, and 23 out of 36 state governorships.
Nigeria — Africa’s most populous country, with 206 million people — is battling unprecedented unemployment of 33 per cent and growing insecurity.
More than 80 million Nigerians — 40 per cent of the population — are living in poverty, which is less than $2 a day per person, according to government data.
The country's economy is still the largest in Africa in terms of the gross domestic product and relies heavily on oil, which accounts for more than 80 per cent of exports and half of government revenues, according to the World Bank.
Since 2011, the security landscape has been shaped by the war against the Boko Haram terrorist group in the northern states.
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10 tips for entry-level job seekers
- Have an up-to-date, professional LinkedIn profile. If you don’t have a LinkedIn account, set one up today. Avoid poor-quality profile pictures with distracting backgrounds. Include a professional summary and begin to grow your network.
- Keep track of the job trends in your sector through the news. Apply for job alerts at your dream organisations and the types of jobs you want – LinkedIn uses AI to share similar relevant jobs based on your selections.
- Double check that you’ve highlighted relevant skills on your resume and LinkedIn profile.
- For most entry-level jobs, your resume will first be filtered by an applicant tracking system for keywords. Look closely at the description of the job you are applying for and mirror the language as much as possible (while being honest and accurate about your skills and experience).
- Keep your CV professional and in a simple format – make sure you tailor your cover letter and application to the company and role.
- Go online and look for details on job specifications for your target position. Make a list of skills required and set yourself some learning goals to tick off all the necessary skills one by one.
- Don’t be afraid to reach outside your immediate friends and family to other acquaintances and let them know you are looking for new opportunities.
- Make sure you’ve set your LinkedIn profile to signal that you are “open to opportunities”. Also be sure to use LinkedIn to search for people who are still actively hiring by searching for those that have the headline “I’m hiring” or “We’re hiring” in their profile.
- Prepare for online interviews using mock interview tools. Even before landing interviews, it can be useful to start practising.
- Be professional and patient. Always be professional with whoever you are interacting with throughout your search process, this will be remembered. You need to be patient, dedicated and not give up on your search. Candidates need to make sure they are following up appropriately for roles they have applied.
Arda Atalay, head of Mena private sector at LinkedIn Talent Solutions, Rudy Bier, managing partner of Kinetic Business Solutions and Ben Kinerman Daltrey, co-founder of KinFitz
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Man of the Match Romain Saiss (Wolves)
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