Former Vice President Atiku Abubakar on Friday held a private meeting with Rauf Aregbesola, the former governor of Osun State and a former close ally of President Bola Tinubu. The meeting took place at Aregbesola’s residence in Osun State.
Atiku, the 2023 presidential candidate of the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP), shared a video of the encounter on his X (formerly Twitter) account with the caption:
“Breakfast time at the residence of the former Governor of Osun State, Engr Rauf Aregbesola.”
The visit coincided with preparations for the coronation of the 49th Owa Obokun and Paramount Ruler of Ijesaland, Oba Clement Adesuyi Haastrup, in Ilesa. While the specific reasons for the visit remain unclear, political observers speculate that it may be connected to Atiku’s preparations for the 2027 presidential election, where President Tinubu is expected to seek a second term.
The meeting has raised eyebrows within the political space, as Aregbesola was a long-standing ally of Tinubu, but their relationship reportedly soured during the run-up to the 2023 elections.
Atiku has been leading efforts to form a united opposition coalition aimed at unseating President Tinubu in 2027. This meeting with Aregbesola comes just days after Atiku’s high-profile engagement with former Labour Party presidential candidate Peter Obi and former Kaduna State Governor, Nasir El-Rufai.
Confirming the meeting, El-Rufai stated that “serious issues” were discussed and hinted that the coalition aims to “retire Tinubu to Lagos” in the next election cycle.
The political landscape is heating up as the 2027 general elections approach, with Atiku intensifying efforts to rally key political figures and build a formidable opposition against Tinubu’s re-election bid.