Our visit to Buhari not about 2027 coalition – Atiku

Former Vice President Atiku Abubakar has clarified his visit with a delegation of prominent politicians to former President Muhammadu Buhari at his residence in Kaduna on Friday.

Atiku said that the visit was primarily for Sallah celebrations and not for any discussions on the planned coalition of political parties aimed at forming a stronger opposition.

Coming amid talks about the formation of a coalition for 2027 general elections, the visit was seen as of political significance.

The delegation included former governors of Kaduna and Sokoto states, Nasir El-Rufai and Aminu Tambuwal, among other notable politicians.

According to Atiku, he has been unable to pay visits during the Sallah celebrations due to his commitments in Adamawa State, where he had to stand in for the Lamido Fombina (Adamawa), HRH Dr. Muhammadu Musdafa.

Atiku, in a chat with journalists, described the visit as a courtesy call to greet former President Buhari during the Sallah festivities.

“We came here on a courtesy and Sallah greetings visit to President Muhammadu Buhari,” he said.

Asked to clarify plans to form a major opposition party, Atiku acknowledged ongoing discussions but stressed that that was not the purpose of their visit.

“There is a plan for the major political parties to come together and form a strong opposition, but it is not part of this visit,” he said.

Earlier, the former vice president had in a post on his verified social media handles announced the visit, which he described as a “wonderful time” with Buhari.

He wrote, “As the Waziri Adamawa, I was obligated to be in Adamawa during the Sallah celebrations. I held forth for the Lamido Fombina (Adamawa) in some of the activities of the Sallah celebrations. Today, I had the opportunity to pay a post-Sallah visit to His Excellency, Muhammadu Buhari, President of the Federal Republic of Nigeria, 2015-2023. It was a wonderful time with him. As usual, he cracked me up (to the extent that my ribs were hurting) with his peculiar humour.”

Other prominent politicians who went to visit Buhari in company with Atiku included former governors Gabriel Suswan (Benue), Jibrilla Bindow (Adamawa), and Achike Udenwa (Imo), among others.

The visit to Buhari has continued to generate speculations among Nigerians on social media.

Recalled that more than 48 hours earlier, the All Progressives Congress Governors, led by the Imo State Governor Hope Uzodimma, paid a similar visit to Buhari in his Kaduna residence.