Atiku Abubakar has denied holding any discussions about the vice-presidential ticket of the African Democratic Congress (ADC) during his recent visit to Niger State, dismissing claims made by Ayodele Fayose.
On Tuesday, Atiku and Seyi Makinde paid separate visits to former military president Ibrahim Babangida at his residence in Minna, Niger State.
Atiku reportedly arrived shortly after 1 p.m. and held a closed-door meeting with Babangida.
Makinde joined the meeting at about 2:10 p.m. Although details of their discussions were not made public, Atiku later stated that his visit was aimed at strengthening the ADC’s structure in the state ahead of future elections.
However, Fayose alleged on Wednesday that Atiku and Makinde used the Minna meeting to finalise arrangements for the ADC’s 2027 presidential race.
He claimed Makinde demanded the party’s vice-presidential ticket as a condition for joining the ADC and pledged N10 billion to support the party’s take-off, to be released in two tranches.
Fayose further alleged that the Oyo governor promised to deliver delegates from the South-West and leverage his wife’s influence to secure votes in the South-South region.
In a statement issued on Thursday by his senior special assistant on public communication, Phrank Shaibu, Atiku described Fayose’s allegations as “beer-parlour tales of infamy” concocted for “cheap propaganda.”
“There were no zoning manipulations. There were no delegate-delivery guarantees. And there is certainly no clandestine Dubai meeting on any such agenda,” the statement read.
Atiku maintained that there were no negotiations over the ADC vice-presidential ticket or discussions about financial contributions during the Minna meeting. He said his political engagements remain national in outlook and guided by principle, not “narrow, transactional theatrics.”
The former vice-president added that it was unfortunate that individuals he described as lacking credibility were attempting to gain attention by fabricating stories involving prominent political figures.
“Falsehood may trend for a moment, but it collapses under the weight of truth,” he said.
He also stated that he does not engage in politics driven by secrecy, bribery, or desperation, insisting that his focus remains on principled engagement and national development. He urged the public to disregard Fayose’s claims entirely.
The renewed war of words between Fayose and Makinde dates back to December 2025. At the time, Makinde alleged that Nyesom Wike, Minister of the Federal Capital Territory, told Bola Tinubu that he would “hold PDP” for the president ahead of the 2027 elections without consulting other stakeholders in the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP).
Makinde and Wike were both members of the G5 governors within the PDP who opposed Atiku’s presidential bid in the 2023 election won by Tinubu. Their relationship has since deteriorated.
In a December interview in Ibadan, Makinde declared that he would not support Tinubu’s re-election bid, citing concerns about the state of democracy in Nigeria.
Fayose later criticised Makinde during a television interview, urging him to return the N30 billion intervention fund released by the federal government following the January 16, 2024 explosion in Ibadan. Fayose further alleged that Makinde received N50 billion related to the incident, claiming the funds were not paid into the state’s treasury.
Makinde, through his media aide, has denied the allegations, insisting that the federal government’s intervention funds remain untouched.
