As political alignments ahead of the 2027 general election gather momentum, former Vice President Atiku Abubakar on Wednesday held separate meetings with key opposition figures, intensifying consultations within the emerging coalition seeking to challenge President Bola Tinubu.

On Wednesday, Atiku paid a courtesy visit to the National Chairman of the African Democratic Congress, David Mark, in Abuja.

Earlier in the day, he met with former Kano State governor and 2023 presidential candidate of the New Nigeria People’s Party, Rabiu Kwankwaso, who had since defected to the ADC.

Kwankwaso’s recent defection from the NNPP to the ADC, after months of speculation linking him to the ruling All Progressives Congress, is widely seen as a boost to the opposition coalition coalescing around the ADC platform.

Taking to his verified X handle, @atiku, the Wazirin Adamawa shared photographs of the visits, tweeting, “This afternoon, I visited the National Chairman of our great party, ADC, Senator David Mark at his residence in Abuja. It was a courtesy call that provided an opportunity to share ideas on how to further strengthen the ADC and restore confidence in Nigeria’s democracy.”

In another tweet, Atiku wrote, “I paid a courtesy visit to the residence of my brother and partner, His Excellency Rabiu Kwankwaso, this afternoon. We had quality discussions in the progress of our party, the ADC and how we must continue to work to ensure good governance and recovery are achieved in good time for the people.”

The meetings come against the backdrop of renewed efforts by opposition heavyweights to build a formidable alliance capable of unseating Tinubu in 2027.

The coalition, reportedly involving figures such as former Senate President Mark, ex-Interior Minister Rauf Aregbesola, former Attorney General Abubakar Malami, ex-Kaduna governor Nasir El-Rufai, former Transportation Minister Rotimi Amaechi, former Secretary to the Government of the Federation, Babachir Lawal, and former APC National Chairman John Odigie-Oyegun, has been exploring the ADC as a unifying platform after internal crises weakened traditional opposition parties, particularly the Peoples Democratic Party.

For Atiku, who was the PDP presidential candidate in 2019 and 2023, the coalition represents what may be his final shot at the presidency.

His strategy appears focused on consolidating northern political blocs while reaching into the South-West and other regions through defectors and aggrieved APC stakeholders.

Kwankwaso’s entry into the ADC is especially significant given his influence in Kano and parts of the North-West, a region critical to any winning coalition.

However, the unfolding leadership crisis within the ADC threatens to derail these calculations.

In a development that cast a shadow over Wednesday’s high-level meetings, the Independent National Electoral Commission removed the names of the party’s National Working Committee, led by David Mark, from its official portal.

The electoral body said the action was in compliance with an order of the Court of Appeal, maintaining that it would preserve the status quo ante bellum pending the determination of a substantive suit before a Federal High Court in Abuja.

The decision stems from a protracted leadership tussle within the party, with rival factions led by Nafiu Bala Gombe and Mark both laying claim to the national structure of the ADC.

For a coalition still in its formative stage, the implication is significant.

At the time of filing this report, it remained unclear what immediate steps the ADC leadership or the broader coalition would take to resolve the impasse, even as consultations continue behind closed doors.