Former Vice President and PDP presidential candidate Atiku Abubakar, ex-Kaduna State Governor Nasir El-Rufai, and former Sokoto Governor Aminu Tambuwal met with former President Muhammadu Buhari on Friday at his residence in Kaduna State.
The visit was revealed by El-Rufai’s close ally, Imran Wakili, via a post on X (formerly Twitter).
He wrote:
“Mallam Nasir El-Rufai, together with Alhaji Atiku Abubakar, Aminu Tambuwal, and other dignitaries, visited former President Muhammadu Buhari at his Kaduna residence.
El-Rufai’s endless respect for Buhari is priceless, even with the best effort of Garba Shehu.”
The visit comes amid increasing political activity and speculation ahead of the 2027 general elections. Atiku, El-Rufai, and Tambuwal were also in Kaduna to meet with opposition stakeholders, as part of ongoing coalition-building efforts to challenge President Bola Tinubu.
Recently, Atiku announced the formation of a coalition involving himself, El-Rufai, and Labour Party’s Peter Obi, under the banner of Concerned Leaders and Political Stakeholders in Nigeria. The alliance is reportedly aimed at unseating Tinubu and the ruling APC in 2027.
Further fueling speculation, former SDP presidential candidate Adewale Adebayo stated that Atiku and Obi were in advanced talks to join the Social Democratic Party (SDP), hinting that if major opposition figures align under the party’s platform, they could effectively defeat and “retire” the APC.
In a related development, NNPP chieftain Buba Galadima suggested that El-Rufai may be acting as a placeholder for Atiku in the SDP in case the PDP denies him its 2027 presidential ticket.
The Kaduna meeting with Buhari has sparked widespread political debate, with observers wondering whether it signals reconciliation, strategic alliance-building, or both.
