The National Secretary of the ruling All Progressives Congress (APC), Ajibola Basiru, has taken a swipe at former Vice President Atiku Abubakar after a photo surfaced showing him apparently asleep during the opposition summit held in Ibadan, Oyo State.
Basiru shared the image on his Facebook page on Sunday, writing: “And the opposition leader slept at the all-important opposition summit.”
The photo, captured from a live Arise News broadcast, showed Atiku seated beside Kabiru Turaki, the national chairman of a faction of the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP), during the high-level meeting.
The Ibadan summit was part of ongoing consultations among opposition leaders seeking to form a stronger alliance ahead of the 2027 general elections, as political alignments continue across party lines.
The meeting, held on Saturday, brought together top opposition figures who agreed to work towards presenting a single presidential candidate for the 2027 polls. Among those present were Atiku Abubakar, Labour Party’s 2023 presidential candidate Peter Obi, former Minister of Transportation Rotimi Amaechi, and former Kwara State Governor Abdulfatah Ahmed.
Basiru’s post sparked mixed reactions online, with many Facebook users responding critically and humorously.
One user, Ojewande Taiwo, wrote: “This is the man that wants to rescue Nigeria! It’s better he rescues himself.”
Another commenter, Tunde Obasemola, added: “So shall the election be lost and won while in slumber.”
Others reacted jokingly, with Thunderson Adaramola posting laughing emojis, while Deji Omo Akinsola-Fakanlu defended Atiku in jest, saying he was “just communing with the gods he was not sleeping.”
Johnson Erayanmen also commented: “Please have some sleep, sleepless nights na water.”
Meanwhile, in a communiqué issued after the summit, opposition parties including the African Democratic Congress (ADC), Labour Party (LP), and New Nigeria People’s Party (NNPP) announced plans to field a single candidate in the 2027 presidential election to challenge President Bola Ahmed Tinubu and the APC.
The parties accused the ruling APC of attempting to turn Nigeria into a one-party state and called for urgent amendments to the Electoral Act 2026. They also raised concerns over the leadership of the Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC), alleging bias.
Despite the controversy surrounding the photo, Atiku struck a unifying tone after the meeting. In a Facebook post, he said opposition leaders had “spoken with one voice” and emphasized the need to build a united front.
“The time has come to forge a united opposition, bound by purpose and driven by the sacred duty to defend and sustain our democracy,” Atiku wrote, while thanking Governor Seyi Makinde and the people of Oyo State for hosting the summit.
