Sani: Atiku’s Visits to Buhari, IBB, Abdulsalami Part of Northern Plot for 2027

•Says plan is to use Buhari to upstage Tinubu

Chuks Okocha in Abuja and  John Shiklam in Kaduna

A former senator, Shehu Sani, has hinted that the recent visits by ex-Vice President, Alhaji Atiku Abubakar, to past Nigerian presidents from the north were part of a plot to unseat President Bola Tinubu at the 2027 general election.

Atiku had in the last two weeks visited former military president, General Ibrahim Babangida, former Head of State, General Abdulsalami Abubakar, and former President Muhammadu Buhari.

After Atiku’s visits, former Kaduna State governor, Mallam El Rufai, also visited Buhari. Though the outcome of the meeting remained a subject of speculation.

Sani, on his X account, stated that the series of visits by Atiku had political undertones, as it was the commencement of a plot to remove Tinubu in the 2027 presidential election.

Sani, who represented Kaduna Central in the eighth senate, stated, “The recent visits by some prominent northern politicians to Daura appears to be the usual Eid homage, but looking deeper and beyond the facade, it’s surreptitiously a new attempt to build a strong northern alliance using ex-President Buhari as a rallying point to challenge and evict President Tinubu’s government in 2027.

“It’s a regrouping of northern political forces for the next general election. A project that will eventually kiss the dust.

“Buhari’s reign ensured nepotistical placement, installation and dominance of northerners at strategic positions of authority and power for eight years. Results have shown that they only enriched themselves, pillaged the economy of the country, and pauperised our country.

“The Daura homage of the disgruntled and the obsessed will fail. Our people in the North should reject these faces and their plots. They have nothing to offer. From the abandoned Baro Port, Ajaokuta, Lake Chad basin refiling and Mambilla hydropower, they failed.

“They came to power when the North was in the hands of terrorists and left it in the joint hands of terrorists and bandits. The Northern Talakawa should reject their antics.”

However,  Atiku’s media aide, Paul Ibeh, had said in a statement, “On Saturday, 22 June, former Vice President of Nigeria and presidential candidate of the Peoples Democratic Party in the 2023 presidential election, Atiku Abubakar, led other stakeholders of the party to the Daura residence of former late governor of old Kaduna State, Alhaji Lawan Kaita, on a condolence visit over the loss of the matriarch of the family.”

He said the former vice president, who was warmly received across major townships of the Daura Emirate, also paid courtesy visits to the Emir of Daura, His Royal Highness, Alhaji Farouk Umar Farouk, and Buhari.

Atiku also visited the Emir of Katsina, His Royal Highness Abdulmumini Kabir Usman.

The statement said the visit was meant for Atiku to express his love for Katsina State, in particular, and to familiarise with distinguished personalities of the Daura Emirate.

The statement added that Atiku’s visit to Katsina State was “essentially a continuation of his courtesy visits since the end of Sallah celebrations and, especially to condole with the family of his late old friend, Mallam Lawan Kaita”.

Atiku had in the last 20 years attempted, albeit unsuccessfully, to become Nigeria’s president.

He contested against Chief MKO Abiola in the famous June 12, 1993 presidential primaries, where Abiola and Alhaji Babagana Kingbe emerged as candidates of the then Social Democratic Party (SDP).

In 2003, Atiku contested on the platform of Action Congress of Nigeria (ACN). Later in 2011, he contested the PDP presidential primaries against President Goodluck Jonathan and in 2015 he contested against Buhari at the general election and lost.

In 2019 and 2023, he was the PDP presidential candidate and lost the main the main election.

According to Sani, the prominent northerners want to resurrect the Buhari political charms, and fanaticism to mobilise the gullible to another hollow and bewildering end.

Sani, in the post, stated that the plot would fail.