Nigeria's former vice president resigns from ruling APC

By Rafiu Ajakaye

LAGOS, Nigeria (AA) - Nigeria’s former vice president Atiku Abubakar has resigned from the country's ruling All Progressive Congress (APC), a move certain to kickstart major political realignments ahead of a general election in 2019.

“His Excellency Atiku Abubakar has resigned from the All Progressives Congress,” his spokesman Paul Ibe announced on his official Twitter account Friday morning.

An influential and wealthy politician, Abubakar plans to run in the 2019 presidential election.

He had joined the APC in 2013 to seek the nomination for the presidential race but lost to current President Muhammadu Buhari. He had repeatedly switched political platforms before then.

Known to have dozens of loyalists in the Nigerian parliament along with a well-oiled political machine across the country, Abubakar’s resignation may trigger a serious implosion in the ruling APC which faces crises of governance.

He had complained of being sidelined by the Presidency he helped bring to office after the government revoked juicy contracts for his seaport services firm Intel.

But analysts say his chances remain threatened by allegations of corruption that trail him from his days as deputy to former President Olusegun Obasanjo whose attempts to fire the vice president between 1999 and 2007 were thwarted by the courts.

Abubakar insists the corruption allegations were mere rumors aimed at his presidential ambitions.