Nasarawa State Governor Abdullahi Sule has firmly denied media reports claiming he held a secret meeting with former Vice President Atiku Abubakar in Mecca, Saudi Arabia, during the recent lesser Hajj period. The governor described the allegations as a fabricated attempt to create political discord.
The denial was issued in a statement on Friday by Governor Sule’s Chief Press Secretary, Ibrahim Addra, on behalf of the Nasarawa State Government. The statement categorically rejected the report as “a complete fabrication” and “false in its entirety.” It asserted that Governor Sule did not meet Mr. Abubakar, nor any individual affiliated with him, during his pilgrimage.
“At no point during his stay did Governor Sule meet with former Vice President Atiku Abubakar or anyone close to him,” the statement read. It further clarified that the governor was unaware of Mr. Abubakar’s presence in Saudi Arabia, dismissing specific claims of a two-hour dinner meeting or any resulting agreement as entirely unfounded. “There was no meeting, no discussion, and no pledge of financial support. The allegations are fiction dressed as journalism,” it added.
The government’s response highlighted that a spokesperson for Mr. Abubakar, Paul Ibe, was also reported to have said he was unaware of any such meeting, thereby reinforcing the denial. The statement then accused unnamed political actors of orchestrating the story to deliberately damage the relationship between Governor Sule and President Bola Tinubu ahead of the 2027 general elections.
To contextualise the governor’s political stance, the statement noted his consistent public loyalty to President Tinubu and the ruling All Progressives Congress (APC). It pointed to a recent specific action where Governor Sule seconded a motion for the APC North-Central zone to adopt President Tinubu as the party’s sole candidate for the 2027 presidential election. “Governor Sule has always publicly expressed his support for President Tinubu and his administration. He does not say one thing in public and another in private,” the statement emphasized.
Concluding, the government characterised the original report as a “calculated act of political sabotage” designed to undermine the governor’s credibility and his rapport with the presidency. It urged the public to disregard the claims as baseless and misleading, warning that such false narratives seek to destabilise political alliances crucial for the upcoming electoral cycle. The statement reinforces the official position that no meeting occurred and suggests the allegation is part of a wider, unnamed strategy to foment suspicion within the ruling party’s ranks.
