Former Vice President and presidential hopeful on the platform of the Peoples Democratic Party, Alhaji Atiku Abubakar, on Sunday had a closed door meeting with former Military President, General Ibrahim Badamasi Babangida.
The meeting, which took place in Babangida’s Hilltop Mansion in Minna, the Niger State capital, lasted over four hours. The Eagle Online reliably gathered that the meeting is not unconnected with the 2019 general election, which has started gathering momentum. Abubakar, who is the Waziri Adamawa, did not speak with newsmen after the meeting.
So also did he not attend to his supporters who got wind of his presence in Babangida’s house and had gathered to hail him. However, an insider source told newsmen that Mohammed Babangida, son of General Babangida, said Abubakar’s visit was a private one and would not need press coverage.
The entrance gate to Babangida’s mansion was turned to a mini political carnival ground as Abubakar’s supporters and other political jobbers laid siege, waiting to get his attention. The disappointed supporters, who had various placards with inscriptions supporting Abubakar could not believe themselves when they were prevented from gaining entrance to the mansion.
Abubakar left the mansion at exactly 3:45pm. The Niger State Coordinator for Hope for Atiku 2019, Mohammed Kutigi, however, said though Abubakar did not acknowledge them, they are still happy he visited Niger State and is aware he has supporters there. One of the aggrieved supporters, Nabila Mohammed, said she was disappointed, adding: “I am not happy at all because we have been waiting for the past four hours.
“He could not even wave at us. “This is a man we have been fighting for his cause, he just came out and ignored us. “He is not fair to us but we will support him.” Also, journalists who had waited for the former number two man were equally disappointed as a message came from General Babangida’s house forth to leave, saying: “This visit is a private one, and, therefore, he cannot talk to journalists.”
This will be the second time in seven months that the Waziri Adamawa will be shunning journalists and his supporters in Niger State. Earlier, Abubakar’s spokesman, Paul Ibe, had called to inform the Correspondent Chapel of the Nigeria Union of Journalists in Niger State that the visit is a private one, saying: “Atiku will not speak to anyone.”
Culled:Eagleonline
