NIGERIA: Atiku, Mark, Others Hold Closed-Door Meeting In Abuja

By Ameenat Hamzat, Lagos, Nigeria

A group of opposition figures, including former Vice President Atiku Abubakar and former Senate President David Mark, held a closed-door meeting in Abuja on Wednesday amid ongoing political tensions.

The meeting involved a faction of the African Democratic Congress led by David Mark and a group within the Peoples Democratic Party headed by Kabiru Turaki.

The development comes as both opposition parties grapple with internal leadership disputes ahead of future elections.

The talks followed a protest earlier in the day by opposition leaders, including Atiku Abubakar, Rabiu Kwankwaso, and Peter Obi, who led supporters to the headquarters of the Independent National Electoral Commission in Abuja.

The protesters accused the electoral body of partisanship and attempting to frustrate the participation of opposition parties in the 2027 general elections.

“Leaders of the ADC accused the commission of partisanship, alleging that it was working in favour of the ruling All Progressives Congress and attempting to frustrate the party’s participation in the 2027 general elections.”

However, the electoral body denied the allegations, stating that its actions were guided by legal provisions and due process.

Tensions within the ADC have intensified following reports that INEC delisted David Mark as National Chairman and Rauf Aregbesola as National Secretary from its official records, further deepening the party’s le

adership crisis.