Ganduje Leads APC Leaders to Buhari After Atiku, El-Rufai Visit Sparks Coalition Rumours

In a fast-unfolding political drama ahead of the 2027 general elections, the National Chairman of the All Progressives Congress (APC) Dr. Abdullahi Ganduje, has led members of the party’s National Working Committee (NWC) to visit former President Muhammadu Buhari at his residence in Kaduna State.

The visit occurred just hours after key northern opposition leaders, including former Vice President Atiku Abubakar, former Kaduna State Governor Nasir El-Rufai, and others, visited Buhari at the same residence—sparking widespread speculation of a northern gang-up against President Bola Ahmed Tinubu.

Those in attendance at the earlier opposition gathering included:

• Atiku Abubakar (Former Vice President)
• Nasir El-Rufai (Ex-FCT Minister and former Kaduna Governor)
• Aminu Tambuwal (Former Governor of Sokoto)
• Gabriel Suswam (Former Benue Governor)
• Jibrilla Bindow (Former Adamawa Governor)
• Achike Udenwa (Former Imo Governor)

Political observers believe the opposition visit could be part of an evolving plan to unseat President Tinubu in 2027. Atiku and El-Rufai are reportedly forming a coalition of northern stakeholders amid concerns of the North being sidelined in key national appointments and decision-making under the current administration.

Atiku Responds to Speculation

Taking to his verified X (formerly Twitter) account, Atiku downplayed political interpretations of the visit, calling it a post-Sallah homage.

“As the Waziri Adamawa, I was obligated to be in Adamawa during the Sallah celebrations. I held forth for the Lamido Fombina in some of the activities.

Today, I had the opportunity to pay a post-Sallah visit to His Excellency, Muhammadu Buhari. It was a wonderful time with him. As usual, he cracked me up with his peculiar humour,” Atiku wrote.

El-Rufai Also Denies Political Motives

Former FCT Minister El-Rufai also dismissed any talk of a political agenda behind the meeting, describing it as a simple religious and social gathering.

“We joined other faithful for Jumaat prayers at the Yahaya Road Mosque and had a sumptuous lunch at the Buhari Residence.

By the way, our adversaries should not lose any sleep. It is not about politics. It is about unity and brotherhood. And since we are all politically irrelevant, we just prayed and enjoyed lunch with our mentor,” El-Rufai stated via X.

Ganduje Reacts: “Joint Venture That Will Fail”

Speaking after his visit to Buhari, APC Chairman Ganduje dismissed the coalition speculations and called any planned opposition merger “a joint venture that will fail.”

“We are not worried at all. This is just history trying to repeat itself. They went on a joint venture which will not work. From what we have seen, there are just some particles that cannot come together,” he said.

Ganduje emphasized that the APC remains Nigeria’s strongest political force, currently in control of 21 states, and is actively strategizing to gain more before the 2027 elections.

“We are eyeing other states that will come into our fold—either the governors themselves will come, or we go for election and defeat them. We are comfortable, but we are not resting,” he added.

The visit also highlights the continued influence of former President Buhari, who despite being officially retired from politics, remains a central figure in Nigeria’s political calculations—especially in the north.

The back-to-back visits have intensified political speculation across the country, raising questions about the stability of existing alliances and the formation of new coalitions ahead of 2027. While both sides have attempted to downplay the political significance of their Kaduna meetings, Nigerians—and especially political analysts—will be watching closely in the months to come.