Atiku Abubakar, the former Vice-President, and Seyi Makinde, the Governor of Oyo, made separate visits to Ibrahim Babangida, the ex-military president, at his Minna residence in Niger state on Tuesday.
Abubakar arrived at Babangida’s residence shortly after 1 pm and immediately went into a closed-door meeting with him, while Makinde joined later at about 2:10 pm.
The two politicians held separate and joint discussions with the elder statesman, though the exact agenda was not disclosed.
Speaking with journalists after the meeting, the former vice-president said his visit to Niger was focused on strengthening the African Democratic Congress (ADC) structures in the state and had nothing to do with the 2027 presidential race.
He also spoke about the demand for the real-time electronic transmission of election results in the Electoral Act amendment.
“I am a member of ADC, and we are busy trying to ensure that our structures are firmly rooted from the ward to the local to the state up to the national level,” he said.
“We are busy mobilising people and registering people at the same time.
“This is not the first time I am coming to see Babangida. I am here to pay my respect. The issue of contesting in the 2027 election did not arise.”
Abubakar urged opposition parties to unite in rejecting the senate’s preference for manual transmission and to keep pressing for full electronic reforms.
He also confirmed that, as an ADC member, he is prioritising grassroots mobilisation, ward-level registration, and building robust party structures nationwide.
The former vice-president was accompanied on the visit by several ADC leaders and stakeholders, including Olagunsoye Oyinlola, former governor of Osun, and Ben Obi, a former senator.
Makinde, who remained in the inner chambers after Abubakar left, declined to speak with journalists.
Credit: The Cable
