About Abdullah Abdullah Abdullah Abdullah (Persian: عبدالله عبدالله) is an Afghan politician who has received medical training. He ran as an independent candidate in the 2009 Afghan presidential election and came in second place with 30.5% of the total votes. On November 1, 2009, Abdullah quit the runoff election that would have taken place six days later, on November 7.Early life Abdullah was born in Kabul, Afghanistan on September 5, 1960. Until he became a government minister, he had only one name, Abdullah; demands from Western newspaper editors for a second name led him to adopt the name Abdullah Abdullah. Like most Afghans, he was raised in a devout Muslim family. Abdullah Abdullah is of Tajik ethnicity, tough claiming his father beeing a Pushtun for some political issues. His father, Ghullam Muhayuddin Khan, was from the Kandahar region, and was a high ranking government official who had risen through the ranks. Abdullah's early years were split between living in Kandahar and Kabul, where his father was serving as an administrator in the land survey and subsequently the inspection section of the Prime Minister’s office. A number of his ancestors had worked in the court of the royal house of Afghanistan in past centuries. Eventually, Abdullah’s family settled in Kabul where his father was appointed as a senator by King Zahir Shah. Abdullah’s father had a great impact on his son's life. Education Abdullah was a top student throughout his elementary and high school years. He graduated from Naderia High School in 1976 and went on to study ophthalmology at Kabul University’s Department of Medicine where he graduated and received his M.D. degree in 1983.