After political bickering arising from the 2023 poll, former vice-president Atiku Abubakar and Oyo State governor Seyi Makinde, met in Minna, Niger State.

Messrs Abubakar and Makinde were hosted on Tuesday by retired military general Ibrahim Babangida at his Minna hilltop residence.

The meeting comes nearly three years after both men fell out following the Peoples Democratic Party’s decision ahead of the 2023 general elections which sidelined ex-Rivers State governor and Minister of the Federal Capital Territory, Nyesom Wike, as vice-presidential candidate in favour of the then Delta State governor Ifeanyi Okowa.

Angered by the decision, Mr Wike withdrew support for Mr Abubakar’s presidential ambition, with Mr Makinde and the then Benue State governor Samuel Ortom also refusing to back the PDP standard bearer despite remaining party members. They formed a G-5 governors group to work against Mr Abubakar’s candidacy.

The Minna meeting suggests the long-running feud may be ending, particularly as relations between Mr Makinde and his longtime ally Mr Wike have also deteriorated, creating room for fresh political alliances ahead of the 2027 poll. 

Mr Abubakar last year defected from the PDP to the African Democratic Congress, a coalition platform formed to challenge President Bola Tinubu’s re-election.

Other prominent politicians who defected to the ADC included a former Anambra State governor Peter Obi, a former Kaduna State governor Nasir El-Rufai including ex-attorney-general of the federation and minister of justice, Abubakar Malami.

The meeting between Messrs Abubakar and Makinde raised speculation that the Oyo State governor may  join the ADC ahead of 2027 though the governor had maintained that he was comfortable being in the PDP.