Atiku, Senator Abbo, Binani Others Hold Coalition Meeting As Defection Looms – Report

Former Vice President Atiku Abubakar, Senator Ishaku Abbo, Senator Aishatu Binani, and some members of the All Progressives Congress are currently holding a coalition meeting in Yola, the Adamawa State capital, report says.

Atiku, who was the Peoples Democratic Party presidential candidate in the 2023 election, arrived at Yola International Airport in his private jet at 12:48 p.m., Punch reports.

He was reportedly received by Senator Abbo, after which his convoy proceeded to the American University of Nigeria Hotel, where the meeting is taking place.

A close aide to Adamawa APC governorship candidate, Senator Binani, confirmed to the paper that she is part of the coalition but could not disclose details of the meeting.

“Since you see me here, it is clear that my principal is among the team leaders. She is engaged at the moment, but at the next meeting, you will see her,” the aide, who declined to be named, said.

This has elicited fears in the APC that its top members in the state may be perfecting plans to dump the party as coalition talks involving the PDP, the Social Democratic Party and Labour Party, among others, intensify.

Recall that the former vice president revealed in the past week that coalition talks had begun.

Several top members of the APC have also expressed readiness to dump the party in favour of the coalition.

Already, former Kaduna governor, Nasir el-Rufai, has left the APC for the SDP.

On Monday, a prominent religious leader in Katsina left the APC for the SDP.