Backlash of Atiku’s Coalition Visit to Buhari: Tinubu Scrambles to Contain a Political Earthquake

By George Omagbemi Sylvester

In what can only be described as a strategic masterstroke or a thunderbolt in Nigeria’s murky political terrain, the unexpected visit of former Vice President Atiku Abubakar to former President Muhammadu Buhari in Daura on Friday has sent shockwaves through the nation’s political establishment. The sight of both men riding together to the Jumaat mosque in the same vehicle was not just symbolic, it was a loud and clear message to President Bola Ahmed Tinubu: the opposition is not only regrouping but forging an alliance that could dismantle his shaky hold on power ahead of 2027.

The fallout from this dramatic political event is now compelling Tinubu to make desperate and sweeping changes in a bid to retain control of his party and avert what could become an unstoppable coalition of discontent, united by a common goal — unseating him.

1. Cabinet Reshuffle on the Horizon: A Move of Political Survival
Sources within Aso Rock have hinted at an imminent cabinet reshuffle. The reason is not far-fetched. Tinubu is under immense pressure to inject new life into his administration and consolidate power by bringing in politicians with real electoral value. The current cabinet, largely filled with technocrats and loyalists with little grassroots reach, is now being re-evaluated. The goal is clear: replace the weak links with seasoned political gladiators who can command votes and loyalty across geopolitical zones.

The plan includes rewarding disgruntled CPC (Congress for Progressive Change) members, many of whom have been quietly engaging Atiku’s team, with ministerial appointments to prevent mass defections. For Tinubu, this is not about governance anymore. It is about political survival.

2. Tanko Al-Makura to Replace Ganduje: CPC Bloc’s Last Hope
The CPC faction of the APC — once Muhammadu Buhari’s core base — has long felt marginalized since Tinubu took power. Tensions have reached a boiling point, and to pacify the bloc, the President is considering the removal of Dr. Abdullahi Umar Ganduje as National Chairman of the APC. His potential replacement? Senator Tanko Al-Makura, the first and only CPC Governor in Nigeria.

This move is calculated. Al-Makura still commands deep respect within the northern political landscape, and his appointment is expected to quell the CPC rebellion before it metastasizes into a full-blown defection to Atiku’s camp. Ganduje, already embattled with corruption allegations and declining popularity, may be sacrificed on the altar of political expediency.

3. Ambassadorial Appointments: Carrots for the Disgruntled
In another desperate measure, the Tinubu administration is reviewing the long-awaited ambassadorial list. The aim is to accommodate CPC loyalists and other core political operatives who feel sidelined. These positions, though largely symbolic, will be used as compensation to calm tensions within the ruling party.

This reconfiguration of foreign postings is not just about diplomacy—it is a political maneuver to buy loyalty with titles and postings in far-flung embassies.

4. Ministerial Appointments for Diplomats: Politics Over Protocol
In an even more audacious twist, some ambassadorial nominees may now be converted to ministers in the new cabinet reshuffle. This unusual crossover is a deliberate political calculation to elevate party stalwarts who still hold sway over key voter blocs. For Tinubu, titles and offices are tools — not of governance, but of political chess.

5. Heads Will Roll: CEOs of MDAs to Be Fired
Several Chief Executives of Ministries, Departments, and Agencies (MDAs) may soon find themselves unemployed. Despite ongoing tenures, those perceived as politically useless or liabilities to Tinubu’s 2027 ambition will be axed. Public criticisms and poor performance records are being used as the justification, but make no mistake — this purge is political.

This action aims to create space for political allies with grassroots structures and loyalty to Tinubu, not necessarily technocrats who deliver results.

6. Tinubu Eyes Kwankwaso: The Power of the Red Cap
Perhaps the boldest move yet in Tinubu’s playbook is the silent courtship of Senator Rabiu Musa Kwankwaso, leader of the Kwankwasiyya movement. With his cult-like following in the North West, particularly Kano, Kwankwaso remains one of the few individuals who could tilt the balance in 2027.

Tinubu’s emissaries have reportedly offered him a grand bargain: rejoin the APC and nominate ministers, ambassadors, and agency heads. In return, he could be positioned as Tinubu’s running mate in 2027 — a move that would sideline Vice President Kashim Shettima and spark a fresh intra-party war.

The goal? Neutralize the Atiku-Buhari coalition with an equally fearsome northern political titan. It is a gamble, but one Tinubu appears willing to take.

7. Kano Emirate Crisis: A Political Bargaining Chip
To sweeten the deal for Kwankwaso, the federal government is reportedly weighing in on the long-running Kano Emirate tussle. Sanusi Lamido Sanusi (SLS), a known Kwankwaso ally, may be reinstated as Emir, while the current Emir Aminu Ado Bayero could be persuaded to resign quietly and offered an ambassadorial post in Qatar, Kuwait, or Saudi Arabia.

This potential realignment in the traditional institution is more than cultural—it is deeply political. By restoring SLS, Tinubu hopes to earn Kwankwaso’s loyalty and, by extension, the votes of millions of Kano citizens.

8. Retired Generals Reunite: A New Power Bloc Emerging
Perhaps most disturbing to the presidency was the clandestine meeting of retired military rulers — Olusegun Obasanjo, Ibrahim Babangida, Abdulsalami Abubakar, Theophilus Danjuma, and Aliyu Gusau — held on April 12, 2025. Atiku and other high-level political operatives were said to have attended.

Though shrouded in secrecy, sources say the retired generals discussed forming a new political front to restore national unity and stability. This is no ordinary meeting. When the military godfathers of Nigeria converge, it is usually a precursor to seismic political shifts.

Their goal? To craft a formidable alliance capable of taking on Tinubu in 2027 — not just for power, but for the survival of democracy in a country gasping under the weight of economic chaos and political polarization.

9. PMB Flees to the UK: Silence as a Political Statement
In the aftermath of the Atiku visit, Muhammadu Buhari has reportedly jetted out to the United Kingdom on “private engagements.” But insiders say the timing is not coincidental. The former president’s departure is a tactical withdrawal, designed to reduce political temperature and avoid accusations of fueling anti-Tinubu sentiment.

However, the damage has been done. Buhari’s silence speaks volumes. His body language suggests endorsement, or at least tolerance, of Atiku’s overtures, sending a chilling signal to Tinubu that the CPC patriarch may no longer be in his corner.

A Nation on the Brink of Another Political Earthquake

The backlash from Atiku’s visit to Buhari is more than a media spectacle. It is a political tsunami that has shaken the foundation of Tinubu’s presidency. With the CPC bloc restless, the Kwankwasiyya movement being courted, and the retired military elite reactivating their networks, Tinubu now finds himself encircled.

He may reshuffle the cabinet, sack agency heads, appease political warlords, and even sacrifice his vice president, but the writing is on the wall: Nigeria is headed for another bruising political battle in 2027.

And for the first time since his ascension to Aso Rock, Tinubu is not in full control of the narrative. The backlash of Atiku’s coalition visit to Buhari is not just a political drama, it is a warning shot of what lies ahead.

LG Poll: Party leaders urge Obasa to support son’s aspiration for Agege Chairmanship
… Endorse Akinola Idowu for Orile-Agege LCDA

Leaders and stakeholders of the All Progressives Congress, APC, in Agege Local Government Area and Orile Agege Local Council Development Area have unanimously endorsed Abdulganiyu Vinod Obasa and Akinola Idowu’s bid to contest for the chairmanship of the respective councils in the upcoming July poll.
They also urged Rt. Hon. Mudashiru Ajayi Obasa, Speaker of the Lagos State House of Assembly, to throw his weight behind his son’s aspiration.

This was the outcome of a recent meeting attended by Hon. Wale Ahmed, a member of the House of Representatives; Hon. Taofeek Adaranijo who represented Agege Federal Constituency in the Eighth National Assembly; Mr. Afolabi Ayantayo, Lagos State Commissioner for Establishments and Training; Hon Tajudeen Afolabi, Special Adviser, Political, Legislative & Civic Engagement to Governor Babajide Sanwo-Olu; and Richard Oshungboye, former chairman, Lagos State House of Assembly Commission.

Among other attendees are the incumbent chairman of Agege LGA, Hon. Ganiyu Egunjobi; his Orile Agege LCDA counterpart, Hon. Johnson Babatunde;
Agege LGA vice-chairman, Hon. Gbenga Abiola; Hon. Jubril Abdul Kareem, Member, Lagos State House of Assembly; Chief Safari Adaranijo, octogenarian party leader; Alhaji Tunde Disco, chairman, APC Agege chapter; Hon. Salaudeen Olaniyi, Orile Agege APC chapter chairman,
and former Agege LGA chairmen, Rotimi Adesina and Chief Owolabi Dada.

Speaking on behalf of the community and party leaders, Egunjobi, Executive Chairman of Agege LGA, said the leaders resolved to support the younger Obasa’s chairmanship bid because he has all the professional and political bona fides to occupy the seat, and to give the younger generation a shot at leadership.

According to him, “Our agitation stems from the indisputable fact that Vinod has the professional and political experience, exposure, education, and capacity to take Agege to a new height, given his outstanding involvement in grassroots politics and community service over the years.

“He is also a very well-educated young man with first and second degrees in Accounting and Finance from universities in the UK, and currently a PhD. student at Babcock University. Also, Vinod is not lacking in experience, having worked for Price Waterhouse Coopers (PWC) and Providus Bank before moving to Parallex Bank, where he left as the Head of Performance Management and Strategy to start his own business, an emerging force in real estate and farming.”

Egunjobi added that the younger Obasa’s football academy, VINOD FA, run by his Kings Sports International, is impacting the community positively. “I know that over four footballers from his academy in Agege here are currently in Europe on the verge of signing professional contracts. So, we have another Kunle Soname of Ikosi-Isheri Local Council on our hands. Therefore, Vinod needs all the encouragement he can get from us and his dad,” the council chair added.

The two-term chairman of Agege LGA declared that Vinod’s political vibrancy and youthfulness are consistent with what currently prevails in the council’s administration, saying, “How old was I when I became the Council Chairman eight years ago? The two vice-chairmen who have worked with me are also young men.”

He added, “We consider our earnest desire to have Vinod as our council chairman as a way of rewarding the numerous humanitarian endeavours of the Speaker in Agege land and beyond. Obasa has removed several families from poverty by helping them to get jobs in the civil service and political appointments; and for most of us, this is payback time.”

He concluded, “It’s our heartfelt wish that Rt. Hon. Mudashiru Ajayi Obasa rescinds his opposition to our collective desire to make AbdulGaniyu Vinod Obasa our next council chairman.”
Egunjobi described Idowu, the Orile Agege LCDA aspirant, as a dedicated leader with experience in community development who had developed a deep understanding of the needs and aspirations of his community.

However, sources say Speaker Obasa has insisted that there must be a level playing field for every aspirant at the upcoming polls.

Senator Solomon Under Fire As Mushin Group Demands End To Political Imposition:

As the July 12, 2025, local government elections approach, political heat is rising in Mushin. A civic group, Mushin Democratic Front, has lashed out at the All Progressives Congress (APC), accusing the party, especially its Mushin apex leader, Senator Ganiyu Olanrewaju Solomon (GOS) f consistently imposing candidates on the people. The group described the practice as a “shameless tradition” that stifles internal democracy and sidelines grassroots voices.

Speaking at a press conference held at Benson Hall in the heart of Mushin on Thursday, the group’s convener, Comrade Rasheed Ogunlana, accused Senator Solomon of “running Mushin politics like a family estate” and called on President Bola Ahmed Tinubu, Governor Babajide Sanwo-Olu, and members of the Governance Advisory Council (GAC) to halt what he described as “this growing cancer of political manipulation.”

According to Ogunlana, the outgoing Local Government Chairman, Vice Chairman, Secretary to the Local Government, and the Member representing Mushin Constituency in the House of Assembly were all “products of Senator Ganiyu Solomon’s sole decision, without any or with minimal input from party faithful or the people.”

“It has become a norm for Senator GOS to summon Mushin APC leaders to his Magodo mansion, where decisions about our future are taken behind closed doors. He dictates who gets what, who runs where, and who gets silenced. This is not leadership; this is tyranny dressed in agbada,” Ogunlana declared.

He alleged that over 90% of key APC executive positions in Mushin are directly attributed to Solomon’s personal picks, leaving little or no room for democratic engagement or fresh grassroots participation.

The Mushin Democratic Front warned that such impositions are breeding frustration, apathy, and resentment among the electorate. Ogunlana hinted that if the APC fails to address this undemocratic culture, many aggrieved stakeholders might explore alternative political platforms.

“The APC is losing the trust of the people in Mushin. The same faces, the same scripts, the same author. How do you expect innovation, development, or credibility?” Ogunlana asked rhetorically.

The group further emphasized the urgent need for fair and equitable power-sharing, calling for the nomination of individuals with the capacity to give Mushin a new direction.

“Can we honestly compare the development in Mushin to that of Odi-Olowo or Surulere? Our local government needs a new face, and for that to happen, our findings show that the distinguished Senator must take a back seat in the nomination of who leads the council,” he added.

“No one group should dominate others. If the APC must truly serve the people in Mushin, then power must be evenly distributed among all legitimate and recognized blocs. Anything less is injustice,” Ogunlana concluded.

The group also called on LASIEC to ensure transparency in the electoral process, stressing that democracy must not only be preached, but practiced.

They urged President Tinubu, who has deep roots in grassroots politics, to intervene and restore internal democracy in the Lagos APC.

“We call on Mr. President to remember that Mushin has always stood with him. It’s time for the local government to have a fresh and refined leader. The GAC, which is the party’s highest decision-making body, must not sit idle while one man derails democracy in Mushin,” the statement concluded.

With weeks to go before the local government elections, Mushin joins a growing list of places where political manipulation, candidate imposition, and lack of transparency threaten the integrity of the democratic process.