Former Vice President Atiku Abubakar has dismissed reports claiming he held a closed-door meeting with Senator Abdulaziz Yari, a chieftain of the All Progressives Congress and former Zamfara State Governor, at his Abuja residence.
The rebuttal, issued on Tuesday through Atiku’s Media Adviser, Paul Ibe, sought to correct what was described as false information circulating in sections of the media regarding the nature and location of the interaction between the two prominent political figures.
According to the statement posted on social media platform X, the encounter was neither pre-arranged nor held at Atiku’s residence, but was instead a brief, spontaneous meeting at the Nnamdi Azikiwe International Airport in Abuja on Monday, February 2.
“On Monday, 2nd February, former Vice President of Nigeria and chieftain of the African Democratic Congress (ADC), Atiku Abubakar embarked on a private journey for the lesser hajj in the Kingdom of Saudi Arabia,” Ibe stated.
“Atiku was accompanied by associates and family members to the Nnamdi Azikiwe International Airport, Abuja. While waiting at the departure lounge of the airport, the former Vice President had a chance encounter with the former Governor of Zamfara State, Senator Abdulaziz Yari, during which the duo greeted and exchanged pleasantries.”
The clarification comes amid heightened political speculation about possible realignments and cross-party consultations ahead of the 2027 general elections. Several media reports had characterised the alleged meeting as a “closed-door” session at Atiku’s Abuja home, fuelling conjecture about potential coalition-building or strategic discussions between the former vice president and the APC stalwart.
Yari, who served as Zamfara State Governor from 2011 to 2019, is a prominent figure within the APC and has been linked to various political manoeuvres within the ruling party. His profile rose further following his involvement in internal party contests, including a bid for the Senate presidency in 2023.
Atiku, who has contested the presidency multiple times under the Peoples Democratic Party banner, most recently in 2023, has long been a central figure in Nigerian opposition politics. His political trajectory includes service as vice president from 1999 to 2007 under President Olusegun Obasanjo, and repeated presidential bids in 2007, 2019, and 2023.
The former vice president’s recent affiliation with the African Democratic Congress, as referenced in the statement, marks a significant development in his political journey, although the full extent and nature of this association remain subjects of public interest and scrutiny.
Cross-party interactions among Nigeria’s political elite are not uncommon, particularly in the period leading up to general elections. However, such encounters often attract intense media attention and public speculation, especially when they involve figures from opposing parties or those with presidential ambitions.
The phenomenon of coalition-building, party-switching, and strategic alliances has become a defining feature of Nigerian politics, particularly since the transition to multi-party democracy in 1999. Major political realignments have historically occurred in the lead-up to election cycles, with prominent politicians crossing party lines in pursuit of electoral advantage or ideological repositioning.
Ibe’s statement firmly “disclaims the false information being circulated in a section of the media that Atiku had a private meeting with Yari at his residence in Abuja,” emphasising that the interaction was limited to courteous greetings at the airport departure lounge.
