Atiku Abubakar, former vice-president, has explained the reason for his long absence from the country.
There have been unconfirmed reports that the former presidential candidate of the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) relocated to Dubai after he lost the 2019 election to President Muhammadu Buhari.
Speaking after the PDP board of trustees (BOT) meeting on Thursday, Abubakar said he left the country to study for a masters degree in international relations at the Cambridge University.
“Many people have wondered where I have been since September last year and it became a matter of rumour among many people and all what not,” he said.
“I want to say that I was away, because I went back to school and I have finished my lectures in May, where I read masters in international relations from Cambridge University.
“I want to use this opportunity to thank our former President Obasanjo for actually recommending me for that course to that university.”
Abubakar said the crisis in the party has ended, adding that the PDP will return to power in 2023.
“I believe PDP will lead to the expectation of Nigerians because they know us more than any other party, because we provided the best governors since the return of democracy to this country. And I believe Nigerians will not forget those good old days,” he said.
“Yesterday, people were rejoicing that there is crisis in the PDP. Today, I don’t know, because they will be crying that the PDP has resolved its own crisis.”