Nigeria: Atiku Disowns Alleged Private Meeting With Ex-Governor Abdulaziz Yari

3 February 2026

Atiku served as Nigeria's Vice President between 1999 and 2007. He is currently a member of the opposition African Democratic Congress.

Former Vice President Atiku Abubakar has dismissed reports claiming he held a private meeting with former Zamfara State Governor Abdulaziz Yari at his residence in Abuja.

In a statement issued on Tuesday by his media adviser, Paul Ibe, Atiku clarified that he had only had a brief encounter with Mr Yari at the Nnamdi Azikiwe International Airport, Abuja.

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According to the statement, Atiku, a chieftain of the African Democratic Congress (ADC), was at the airport on Monday, 2 February, en route to the Kingdom of Saudi Arabia for the lesser hajj.

"He was accompanied by associates and family members to the airport," the statement said.

Mr Ibe said while waiting at the departure lounge, the former Vice President reportedly ran into Senator Yari, during which both men exchanged greetings and pleasantries.

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"There was no meeting whatsoever between Atiku Abubakar and Senator Abdulaziz Yari, either at Atiku's residence or anywhere else, beyond the brief encounter at the airport," the statement said.

The media office described reports (not by PREMIUM TIMES) suggesting a private meeting as false and misleading, urging the public to disregard them.

Atiku served as Nigeria's Vice President between 1999 and 2007. He is currently a member of the opposition African Democratic Congress (ADC), a coalition working to defeat the governing All Progressives Congress (APC) in the 2027 general elections.

Mr Yari is a chieftain of the APC and a staunch supporter of President Bola Tinubu.

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