Former Vice President Atiku Abubakar has addressed speculation surrounding his recent visit to former President Muhammadu Buhari’s residence in Kaduna.
Atiku, who was accompanied by a group of prominent politicians, made it clear that the visit was strictly for Sallah greetings and not related to any discussions about forming a political coalition for the 2027 general elections.
Atiku and his delegation, which included former governors Nasir El-Rufai of Kaduna and Aminu Tambuwal of Sokoto, arrived at Buhari’s residence on Friday, with the visit quickly drawing attention due to its timing amid ongoing conversations about the possibility of a political coalition aimed at strengthening opposition forces in the upcoming elections.
In a conversation with journalists, Atiku noted that his visit was a friendly, ceremonial gesture to exchange Sallah greetings with the former president.
“We came here on a courtesy and Sallah greetings visit to President Muhammadu Buhari,” Atiku explained. He further stressed that although there are indeed ongoing talks about forming a more robust opposition coalition, this was not the purpose of his visit to Buhari.
The former vice president also took the opportunity to share why he had not been able to visit during the Sallah celebrations earlier. Atiku mentioned his duties in Adamawa State, where he had to stand in for the Lamido Fombina, HRH Dr. Muhammadu Musdafa, during some of the local celebrations. He highlighted that this made his visit to Buhari after the Sallah celebrations a special moment, as it gave him the chance to reconnect and enjoy the former president’s company.
Atiku shared a more personal insight into the visit through his social media accounts, describing his time with Buhari as “wonderful.” He added humorously, “As usual, he cracked me up (to the extent that my ribs were hurting) with his peculiar humour.”
Other notable politicians accompanying Atiku included Gabriel Suswan, former governor of Benue; Jibrilla Bindow, former governor of Adamawa; and Achike Udenwa, former governor of Imo State. The presence of such a high-profile delegation further fueled speculations about the political nature of the visit. However, Atiku was firm in his statement that the purpose was purely social, not political.
Interestingly, Atiku’s visit comes just two days after a similar trip was made by governors from the ruling All Progressives Congress (APC), led by Imo State Governor Hope Uzodimma. The series of visits to Buhari have become a talking point among Nigerians, with many interpreting the actions as signs of strategic positioning ahead of the 2027 elections.
