Presidential candidate of the opposition Peoples Democratic Party (PDP), Atiku Abubakar, has said that he was confident of winning the 2023 presidential election because incumbent President Muhammadu Buhari has personally assured him of a free and fair contest.

The former Vice President, in an interview with Financial Times (FT) newspaper of London, said he met with President Buhari twice on the matter.

"I've gotten a commitment from the President personally, because I sat down with him twice, that even if it is the only legacy he will leave, he will make sure he conducts free, fair and credible polls," Atiku said.

He also said that, if elected President in 2023, he planned to form a government of national unity that would include opposition politicians.

When pressed by FT if there could be a job for the Labour Party (LP) presidential candidate, Peter Obi, who was his running mate in 2019, Atiku responded: "Why not?"

Asked in what capacity, the PDP presidential candidate said: "Let's win the elections before thinking of roles people can play."

According to the British daily newspaper, Atiku is still stung by his 2019 defeat, an election many expected would be a close race but ended with Buhari's re-election by almost four million votes, extending his margin of victory from the previous poll.

But Atiku insisted that the 2019 presidential election was rigged in Buhari's favour.

"All well-informed sources believe I was rigged out," he said.

Atiku added that the 2023 elections

would be harder to manipulate because of reforms, including the electronic transmission of results, by the electoral commission that have been deployed in recent gubernatorial elections.