Former Vice-President Atiku Abubakar has clarified that he did not engage in any discussions concerning the African Democratic Congress (ADC) vice-presidential ticket during his recent trip to Niger state, rebutting assertions made by Ayodele Fayose, the former governor of Ekiti.
On Tuesday, Abubakar and the Governor of Oyo State, Seyi Makinde, held separate meetings with former military president Ibrahim Babangida at his home in Minna.
Abubakar reached Babangida’s home shortly after 1 p.m. for an immediate private discussion, while Makinde arrived later at approximately 2:10 p.m.
While the specific details of their conversations with the elder statesman were not made public, Abubakar noted that his trip to Niger was focused on bolstering ADC structures in the state for the coming elections.
However, in a Wednesday statement, Fayose alleged that Abubakar and Makinde utilized the Minna gathering to finalize a deal regarding the ADC’s 2027 presidential run. He claimed that Makinde insisted on the ADC vice-presidential ticket as a condition for joining the party.
Fayose also asserted that the Oyo governor pledged to support the ADC’s “proper take-off with N10 billion” and would provide the capital in two separate payments.
Furthermore, Fayose alleged that Makinde vowed to deliver South-West delegates and leverage his wife’s connections to secure votes in the South-South.
In response, Abubakar’s senior special assistant on public communication, Phrank Shaibu, issued a statement on Thursday describing Fayose’s assertions as “beer-parlour tales of infamy” created for “cheap propaganda”. He maintained that there were no talks regarding the vice-presidential slot at the Minna meeting, nor were there discussions of N10 billion donations.
“There were no zoning manipulations. There were no delegate-delivery guarantees. And there is certainly no clandestine Dubai meeting on any such agenda,” the statement reads.
He stated that his political movements are principled, national, and extensive, lacking any “narrow, transactional theatrics”.
According to the former vice-president, “it is unfortunate that certain individuals, long deprived of credibility, can now attempt to manufacture relevance by inventing tales around serious national figures.”
“Falsehood may trend for a moment, but it collapses under the weight of truth,” he added.
Abubakar further emphasized that he does not “transact politics in secrecy, bribery, or transactional desperation, as he remains focused on principled engagement and national redemption”.
He called on the public to completely disregard Fayose’s allegations.
BACKGROUND
The ongoing verbal clash between Fayose and Makinde was reignited in December 2025 after the Oyo governor suggested that Nyesom Wike, the FCT minister, told President Bola Tinubu he would “hold PDP” for the president for the 2027 race without consulting other party leaders.
Both Makinde and Wike were prominent members of the PDP’s G5 governors who campaigned against Abubakar’s 2023 presidential bid, which was ultimately won by Tinubu.
However, the tie between Makinde and Wike has since grown cold. During a December interview in Ibadan, Makinde stated he would not back Tinubu’s re-election, citing worries about the state of democracy in Nigeria.
In a separate TVC interview in late December, Fayose hit back at the Oyo governor, demanding that he return a N30 billion intervention fund provided by the Tinubu administration for those affected by the January 16, 2024, explosion in Ibadan. Fayose further claimed Makinde received N50 billion from the federal government regarding the incident, alleging the funds did not reach state coffers.
The Oyo governor, via his media representative, has since refuted the claims, stating that the federal government’s intervention fund remains untouched.