National Chairman of the All Progressives Congress (APC), Dr. Abdullahi Ganduje, led the party’s National Working Committee (NWC) on a visit to former President Muhammadu Buhari at his residence in Kaduna State on Saturday.
The visit came shortly after a notable gathering of northern political heavyweights—mostly opposition figures—also visited Buhari. Those in attendance included former Vice President Atiku Abubakar, ex-Kaduna governor Nasir El-Rufai, former Sokoto governor Aminu Tambuwal, former Benue governor Gabriel Suswam, former Adamawa governor Jibrilla Bindow, and former Imo governor Achike Udenwa.
Their meeting with Buhari sparked speculation of a potential northern political coalition ahead of the 2027 presidential election, possibly aimed at challenging President Bola Ahmed Tinubu’s re-election bid. Analysts have suggested the gathering might have been an effort to win Buhari’s support for a northern candidate, amid growing concerns that the region has been sidelined in Tinubu’s administration, especially in key appointments.
Atiku, however, downplayed the speculation. Writing on his verified X (formerly Twitter) account, he described the meeting with Buhari as a routine post-Sallah homage, emphasizing the personal and informal nature of the visit.
“As the Waziri Adamawa, I was obligated to be in Adamawa during the Sallah celebrations. I held forth for the Lamido Fombina (Adamawa) in some of the activities. Today, I had the opportunity to pay a post-Sallah visit to His Excellency, Muhammadu Buhari… It was a wonderful time with him. As usual, he cracked me up with his peculiar humour,” Atiku said.
Similarly, El-Rufai dismissed political interpretations of the visit, noting that it was a social and spiritual gathering.
“We joined other faithful for Jumaat prayers at the Yahaya Road Mosque and had a sumptuous lunch at the Buhari residence,” he posted on X. “It is not about politics. It is about unity and brotherhood. And since we are all politically irrelevant, we just prayed and enjoyed lunch with our mentor.”
In contrast, Ganduje used the APC’s visit to Buhari to address the growing rumors of a merger among opposition parties. He dismissed the idea as an impractical alliance that poses no threat to the ruling party.
“We are not worried at all,” Ganduje stated. “This is just history trying to repeat itself. They’re attempting a joint venture that won’t work. Some elements simply can’t blend. It’s all a game—we won’t reveal our strategy, but we are fully prepared.”
Ganduje reaffirmed the APC’s dominance, boasting 21 sitting governors and calling the party “still the strongest in West Africa.” He expressed confidence in the party’s prospects for 2027, stating that the APC was actively working to increase its influence.
“We’re targeting more states—whether through governors joining us or by defeating them in elections. We are comfortable, but not complacent. We will keep working,” he concluded.
