A former vice president of Nigeria, Atiku Abubakar, has said that political leadership is like a business, and therefore the decision to choose whom to “buy” from in 2019 was entirely that of the “customer”.

Mr. Abubakar on Sunday declared via Facebook that he was returning to his former party, the Peoples Democratic Party, PDP, after resigning from the ruling All Progressives Congress, APC, last month.

He has repeatedly accused the APC of letting Nigerians down.

Mr. Abubakar, since his declaration, has been using the social media to engage Nigerians over his ambition to run for president in 2019.

On Monday, a Twitter user, by name Tayo Oviosu (@oviosu), tweeted at the former vice president, “Don’t you think Nigeria needs fresh young leaders vs leaders who have been there before? You have been VP and served well. Can we not make room for new up and coming leaders?”

Mr. Oviosu asked Mr. Abubakar to be candid in his response if he wanted his vote.

Mr. Abubakar (@atiku) responded: “Tayo, leadership is like business. I say my product is the best because I believe it is. You say your product is the best because you believe it is.

“We leave the customer to make the buying decision,” he said.

Mr. Abubakar’s return to the PDP has stirred some excitement within the party. Ben Murray-Bruce, a PDP senator from Bayelsa State, on Sunday, excitedly called the former vice president “the next president of Nigeria”.

Mr. Abubakar had previously boasted that he could easily defeat President Muhammadu Buhari if both men contest against each other in 2019.