Atiku, Tinubu meet in Abuja

The former Vice President and the presidential candidate of the Peoples Democratic Party of the 2019 general election, Atiku Abubakar; and the former Lagos State Governor and the National Leader of the All Progressives Congress, Asiwaju Bola Tinubu, met briefly in Abuja on Saturday.

The brief discussion took place when the two prominent politicians ran into each other at the VIP lounge of the Nnamdi Azikiwe International Airport (NAIA) Abuja.

Recall that both Tinubu and Atiku were founding members of the APC, the former vice president later defected to the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) where he was the presidential candidate in the 2019 election.

Atiku was also a presidential aspirant of the APC who lost to Buhari in the buildup to the 2015 elections.

According to Tinubu’s spokesman, Mr Tunde Rahman, shared a picture of the encounter on his Facebook page on Sunday.

In the picture, Tinubu and Atiku who held each other’s hands, were seen engrossed in a discussion while the Adamawa State Governor, Ahmadu Fintiri, was seen listening to them with rapt attention.

The caption of the picture as posted by Rahman read, “Asiwaju Bola Tinubu and former Vice President Atiku Abubakar exchanging views when they ran into each other at the Nnamdi Azikwe International Airport, Abuja.

“Asiwaju was on his way to Minna, Niger State to receive an honourary doctorate degree from IBB University, Lapai and former VP, Kaduna for a wedding.

“They were flanked by Adamawa State Governor Ahmadu Fintiri.”

Recall that ahead of the 2015 presidential election won by the President, Major General Muhammadu Buhari, both Tinubu and Atiku, as party leaders, worked for the APC.

Atiku was one of the party’s presidential aspirants who lost to Buhari at the party’s primary held in Lagos.

After Buhari won the election, however, Atiku and some other prominent politicians like the then President of the Senate, Bukola Saraki; the then Speaker of the House of Representatives, Yakubu Dogara; Sokoto State Governor, Aminu Tambuwal, and Senator Rabiu Kwankwaso among others returned to the PDP.

Atiku contested for the PDP’s presidential ticket for the 2019 election at the party’s primary held in Port Harcourt and won.

Unlike in 2015 when he and Tinubu were in the same camp, they were in opposing camps during the 2019 elections and they are still in opposing camps as of now.

The photograph has been generating reactions with commentators warning supporters who maim or kill because of their political leaders to learn from the two leaders.

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