President Bola Tinubu on Tuesday held separate meetings with former APC National Chairman, Abdullahi Ganduje, and former Minister of Defence, Badaru Abubakar, at the Presidential Villa in Abuja.
The meetings came just a day after former Kano State governor, Rabiu Kwankwaso, defected to the African Democratic Congress alongside several political allies, including Nasiru Gawuna and Aminu Gwarzo. There are also indications that some lawmakers from Kano may follow the same path.
Ganduje was seen leaving the State House around 4:15 p.m., while Badaru exited about 15 minutes later. Both men declined to speak with journalists, leaving the purpose of their visits undisclosed.
Ganduje served as APC national chairman from August 2023 until his resignation in July 2025. He was later succeeded by Nentawe Yilwatda, who emerged as the party’s substantive chairman during its national convention in March 2026. Before his role at the party level, Ganduje was governor of Kano State from 2015 to 2023.
Badaru, who also served as governor of Jigawa State between 2015 and 2023, recently stepped down as Minister of Defence in Tinubu’s administration.
The fact that both men met the President separately suggests the discussions were individual consultations rather than a joint meeting. Observers believe the visits may be linked to ongoing political realignments within the APC, especially following recent defections in Kano and Jigawa States.
There are also reports that some party members loyal to Badaru in Jigawa could be considering a move to the ADC amid internal disagreements with Governor Umar Namadi.
Earlier in the day, Ganduje had joined Governor Abba Yusuf and Deputy Senate President Barau Jibrin at the House of Representatives, where they witnessed the defection of eight NNPP lawmakers to the APC.
Speaking afterwards, Ganduje downplayed the impact of Kwankwaso’s defection, expressing confidence that the APC would remain strong and secure victory in the 2027 elections.
