Former Vice President Atiku Abubakar paid a visit to ex-Osun State Governor Rauf Aregbesola at his residence in Osun State. The meeting comes amid growing opposition coalition efforts ahead of the 2027 general election.
Atiku and Aregbesola have been notable figures in Nigerian politics, with Aregbesola previously aligning with President Bola Tinubu before their relationship soured.
Tinubu and Aregbesola fell out in 2020 when the former minister revamped the Mandate Group — a core of Tinubu’s loyalists — and usurped the closely-knitted caucus for individuals he could trust.
The former Osun governor relaunched the group without Tinubu’s approval and named Abdullahi Enilolobo, his protege, as the new leader.
In 2022, there was an attempt by close associates and friends to reconcile both men in the build-up to the 2023 general election – but that did not yield any tangible result as they still do not see eye to eye.
Atiku’s visit comes as opposition politicians intensify coalition efforts ahead of the 2027 general election.
According to the African Democratic Congress (ADC) appears to have emerged as the new political bride in Nigeria’s opposition landscape, following its adoption by a coalition of opposition leaders as the platform to challenge President Tinubu in the 2027 presidential election.
Previously on the fringes of national politics, the party was adopted by coalition leaders on Tuesday night in what one proponent described as “the official birth of the coalition”.
The coalition, which is led by former Vice President Atiku Abubakar, Labour Party’s 2023 presidential candidate, Peter Obi, and former Kaduna State governor Nasir El-Rufai, was formally announced on March 20. However, a decision on which political platform to adopt had been delayed by several rounds of talks, initially with the Social Democratic Party (SDP).
The SDP had appeared the frontrunner after El-Rufai defected from the ruling All Progressives Congress (APC), sparking a wave of interest from his supporters and other northern political leaders. But cracks soon emerged. SDP’s national chairman, Shehu Gabam, ruled out participation in any party merger, publicly declaring that the party would not allow itself to be used as a “special-purpose vehicle by selfish politicians.”
The meeting between Atiku and Aregbesola is part of the larger opposition movement as politicians intensify coalition efforts ahead of the 2027 elections. “Breakfast time at the residence of the former Governor of Osun State, Engr Rauf Aregbesola,” Atiku wrote in a post accompanying a video of their meeting.
However, the opposition coalition, led by Atiku, Peter Obi, and Nasir El-Rufai, has adopted the African Democratic Congress (ADC) as its platform, marking a significant step in their bid to challenge President Tinubu in 2027.
