Atiku, el-Rufai, Tambuwal, others visit Buhari in Kaduna in new political realignment
Former Vice President and presidential candidate of the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) in the 2023 general elections, Atiku Abubakar, has paid a homage to former President Muhammadu Buhari in Kaduna.
According to a video of the visit seen online, Atiku visited the former Nigeria’s leader alongside former governors of Sokoto and Kaduna States, Aminu Waziri Tambuwal and Nasir El-Rufai, respectively.
While the details of the visit were not disclosed, the former Vice President in a post on his personal X handle, said the visit was just a post-Sallah visit, adding that the former President cracked him up as he always does.
A statement by the Media Office of the presidential candidate of the Peoples Democratic Party in the 2023 elections also confirmed the visit.
The statement, issued on Friday, however, said the visit by Atiku; el-Rufai, a former two-term governor of Kaduna State; and Tambuwal, a former Speaker of the House of Representatives, former governor of Sokoto State, and now a senator, was part of the Eid-el-Fitr visit to Buhari.
The statement, which came amid reported realignment of forces ahead of the 2027 elections, came just days after some governors elected on the platform of the All Progressives Congress also visited Buhari.
The visit by the governors, on the platform of the Progressives Governors’ Forum, fuelled the speculation of the resuscitation of the Congress for Progressive Change, the party of Buhari, which was one of the four that merged to form the APC.
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The statement said the demands of being the Waziri Adamawa made it impossible for the former Vice President to pay visits during the Sallah celebrations.
It said Abubakar had to be in Adamawa State, holding forth for the Lamido Fombina (Adamawa), HRH Dr. Muhammadu Barkindo Aliyu Musdafa, at some of the activities of the Sallah period.
It added: “Today, he was opportuned to lead a delegation that included former Governor of Kaduna State, Mallam Nasir el-Rufai, former Governor of Sokoto State, Senator Aminu Waziri Tambuwal, and former Governor of Adamawa State, Senator Bindow Jibrilla, among others on a post-Sallah visit to former President Muhammadu Buhari, 2015-2023, at his residence in Kaduna, Kaduna State.”
Others on the delegation were former Governor of Benue State, Senator Gabriel Suswan; former Governor of Imo State, Chief Achike Udenwa; Senator Idris Umar; Hon. Mohammed Kumalia; Captain Yahaya Abubakar; Alhaji Musa Halilu (Dujima Adamawa); and Alhaji Salisu Makarfi.
According to the statement, the delegation later joined former President Buhari at the Friday Juma’ah prayer in Kaduna.
