By MOHAMMED MOMOH

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Nigeria's main opposition Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) has elected former Vice-President Atiku Abubakar to take on the incumbent Muhammadu Buhari in next February's election.

The 71-year-old Abubakar clinched the ticket at the PDP's primaries held in the south-eastern town of Port Harcourt on Sunday

The Fulani businessman and politician beat 11 other contestants to pave the way to face his kinsman Buhari, who also got the nod of the ruling All Progressives Congress (APC) earlier on Sunday.

Mr Abubakar was in 1998 elected Governor of Adamawa State. While still governor-elect, he was selected by PDP presidential candidate Olusegun Obasanjo, as his running mate.

The duo went on to win elections in February 1999, and Mr Abubakar was sworn-in as Nigeria’s second democratically elected vice-president on May 29, 1999.

Nigerian President Muhammadu Buhari. FILE | NATION MEDIA GROUP

His second term as VP was marked by a stormy relationship with President Obasanjo.

Mr Abubakar later ran for presidency on the platform of the Action Congress, having quit the PDP on account of his issues with President Obasanjo.

The Obasanjo friend-turned-foe lost the election, placing third after Mr Umaru Yar’Adua and Gen Buhari of the All Nigeria Peoples Party (ANPP).

He joined the ruling APC and sought the party’s ticket in 2014, but lost to Gen Buhari at the primary held in Lagos.

Mr Abubaker defected again from APC in May to PDP.

In his acceptance speech, Mr Abubakar praised the conduct of the primary as the best since the enthronement of democracy in 1999.