Information on an alleged meeting between former vice president Atiku Abubakar and governor of Nasarawa State Abdullahi Sule in Mecca, Saudi Arabia, during the recent smaller hajj (Umrah), has surfaced.
The meeting allegedly happened on March 11, 2026, during an iftar supper in the holy month of Ramadan at the Conrad Jabal Omar Hotel in Mecca, according to a report published in Peoples Gazette.
The discussion, according to sources quoted in the paper, lasted almost two hours and was centered on political developments leading up to the 2027 presidential election.
According to the report, the discussion was focused on potential political cooperation to remove President Bola Tinubu from office in the 2027 election.
After leaving the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) in 2025, Atiku joined the African Democratic Congress (ADC) and is reportedly thinking on running for president again.
According to sources cited in the report, Governor Sule promised to assist Atiku in winning votes in Nasarawa State and endorsed his ambition.
According to one insider, the governor was also looking for political guarantees in front of his potential 2027 candidacy for the Nasarawa North senatorial seat.
According to a source with knowledge of the purported encounter, Sule may be strategically placing himself in Nigeria’s changing political environment.
Atiku Abubakar and Governor Abdullahi Sule met in Saudi Arabia a few weeks ago. On March 11, 2026, he met Atiku for two hours in the Conrad Jabal Omar Hotel in Makka, according to the source.
According to the insider, there have been talks on moving the presidency back to northern Nigeria in 2027.
According to the article, an unidentified insider in the Tinubu camp expressed fear that if Atiku becomes the opposition’s presidential candidate, certain lawmakers from the ruling party, especially those from the northern area, would change loyalties.
According to the person, the development has sparked concerns that certain MPs and governors may desert the president before the next election.
Paul Ibe, Atiku’s media assistant, was contacted over the said meeting but did not confirm or deny its existence.
“All I can tell you is what I know.” I don’t know of any such meetings. Ibe stated on the aforementioned platform, “I can confirm that His Excellency Atiku Abubakar traveled for the lesser hajj and returned to the country on Saturday.”
Ibrahim Addra, Governor Sule’s chief press secretary, also claimed not to be aware of the meeting.
He did, however, confirm that the governor had visited Saudi Arabia for the smaller hajj during that time.
“I know the governor attended the lesser hajj, but I’m not aware of the meeting,” he remarked.
According to checks referenced in the article, Sule and Atiku were in Mecca within about the same time frame in February and March of 2026.
Sule reportedly met with a number of political associates during his visit, including Senator Ahmed Wadada Aliyu, who represents Nasarawa South.
Atiku met Aisha Buhari, the wife of former President Muhammadu Buhari, during the Umrah time, according to the report.
