By Agboola Aluko | GLiDE NEWS, Lagos – April 12, 2025
I n what is fast becoming a political season of high-profile courtesy visits, former Vice President Atiku Abubakar on Friday led a powerful delegation of political heavyweights to the residence of former President Muhammadu Buhari in Kaduna. The visit, which sparked speculation of looming political realignment ahead of the 2027 elections, has now been clarified as purely ceremonial.
Atiku, speaking to journalists after the meeting, dismissed rumours of a political coalition discussion, stating that the visit was strictly in the spirit of the Eid-el-Fitr festivities.
“We came here on a courtesy and Sallah greetings visit to President Muhammadu Buhari,” the former Vice President said. “There is a plan for major political parties to come together and form a strong opposition, but it is not part of this visit.”
The delegation included notable figures such as former Kaduna State Governor Nasir El-Rufai, former Sokoto State Governor Aminu Tambuwal, as well as former governors Gabriel Suswan (Benue), Jibrilla Bindow (Adamawa), and Achike Udenwa (Imo). Their presence added weight to public assumptions of a strategic political move, particularly as it followed a similar visit by APC governors led by Senator Hope Uzodimma earlier in the week.
On social media, Nigerians are already dissecting the symbolism of the visit, with hashtags related to 2027 politics trending in political circles. Yet, Atiku reiterated that his role during the Sallah season required his presence in Adamawa, where he represented the Lamido Fombina, HRH Dr. Muhammadu Musdafa, hence the post-Sallah timing of his Kaduna stopover.
Taking to his verified social media handle, Atiku offered a light-hearted recap of his meeting with Buhari, saying:
“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.”
While the meeting may have been social in nature, the timing and the political weight of the personalities involved suggest that Nigeria’s 2027 election landscape is already being quietly shaped behind closed doors. For now, the official line remains one of unity, respect, and Eid celebration—but in the world of Nigerian politics, even courtesy calls can carry undertones of strategy.
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