Former Vice President Atiku Abubakar delivered a stirring address to the graduating class of the American University of Nigeria (AUN) in Yola, urging students to embrace education as the most potent tool for personal and national transformation.
Atiku, who is also the founder of AUN, captivated the audience with deeply personal reflections from his life, including the hardships he faced in his quest for knowledge.
“My father was imprisoned for refusing to send me to school,” he revealed, emphasizing the cultural resistance he had to overcome as a young boy. “We began with nothing — no classrooms, no chairs — just the ground beneath us and our fingers for writing.”
Despite such humble beginnings, Atiku’s relentless pursuit of education led him to prominence — eventually becoming Nigeria’s Vice President in 1999.
Interestingly, he clarified that the founding of AUN wasn’t rooted in his early struggles, but rather inspired by his experience with the American Peace Corps in 1961.
“They were the ones who truly lit the spark,” he said, crediting the Peace Corps volunteers who taught him and shaped his vision of a world-class university grounded in American-style education.
In a powerful message about resilience and ethical leadership, Atiku recounted a series of life-threatening and politically charged experiences.
“I’ve been through persecution. I’ve been hunted,” he stated. “But patience is not weakness; it’s the armor of the wise.”
The former VP disclosed how he rejected a governorship offer from the military during Nigeria’s dictatorship era — a position that came without election.
“I said no. I waited and earned it at the ballot in 1999,” he said, highlighting his commitment to democracy.
Atiku also honored his mentor, the late General Shehu Musa Yar’Adua, recalling the general’s astonishing calmness in the face of death.
“His blood pressure was normal on the day he was to be executed. That’s what real courage looks like,” he said, drawing applause.
In one of the most gripping moments of his speech, Atiku described surviving an assassination attempt in Kaduna.
“I hid my wife and children in a wardrobe and stood in front of the attackers. They shot and missed. I stood my ground and asked, ‘Why did you shoot?’”
His message to the graduating class, especially aspiring entrepreneurs, was clear: stay true to your values.
“Build your business on integrity. Remain independent. Don’t lean on the government. Avoid needless conflict, but never abandon your principles.”
Atiku’s remarks left the graduates with not just a diploma, but a charge to lead with courage, patience, and unwavering integrity.
