Nasarawa Govt Denies Alleged Sule–Atiku Meeting, Slams Report as Fabrication

From Abel Zwanke, Lafia

The Nasarawa State Government has dismissed as “false” and “fabricated” a report alleging that Governor Abdullahi Sule held a secret meeting with former Vice President Atiku Abubakar in Saudi Arabia to plot against President Bola Tinubu ahead of the 2027 elections.

In a statement issued yesterday, the Chief Press Secretary to the Governor, Ibrahim Addra, described the report by Peoples Gazette as “reckless, mischievous and utterly irresponsible,” insisting that no such meeting ever took place.

The report had claimed that Governor Sule met with Atiku in Mecca during the lesser Hajj and allegedly pledged financial support to unseat President Tinubu in the next presidential election.

However, the state government refuted the claim in its entirety.

“We wish to state, without any equivocation whatsoever, that this story is a complete fabrication. It is false in its entirety. It did not happen and indeed will not happen,” Addra said.

He confirmed that the governor was in Saudi Arabia strictly for religious purposes, noting that the trip was solely to perform the lesser Hajj.

“Governor Abdullahi A. Sule did travel to Saudi Arabia to perform the lesser Hajj, an act of personal religious devotion. However, at no point during his stay did he meet with former Vice President Atiku Abubakar or anyone close to him,” he stated.

Addra further stressed that the governor was not even aware of Atiku’s presence in Saudi Arabia at the time, dismissing details of the alleged meeting as fictitious.

“There was no meeting. There was no two-hour dinner at the Conrad Jabal Omar Hotel or anywhere else. There was no pledge of financial support. There was no agreement of any kind. The allegations are false, fiction dressed as journalism,” he said.

The government also pointed to remarks reportedly attributed to Atiku’s spokesman, Paul Ibe, who was quoted as saying he was unaware of any such meeting.

“It is very telling that when the Peoples Gazette contacted Atiku Abubakar’s spokesman, Mr. Paul Ibe, he was unable to confirm the claim. His exact words were: ‘I am not aware of a meeting of that nature,’” Addra noted.

The statement questioned the timing of the publication, linking it to recent political developments within the ruling All Progressives Congress (APC).

It recalled that Governor Sule had recently demonstrated loyalty to President Tinubu by seconding a motion endorsing him as the sole presidential candidate of the APC for the 2027 election in the North Central zone.

“Governor Sule has consistently and publicly used every available platform to extol the leadership qualities of President Tinubu and to affirm his unshakeable support for the president’s administration and re-election bid,” Addra said.

He described any suggestion that the governor was working against the president as “junk journalism” and a calculated attempt to undermine their relationship.

“For anyone to publish a story portraying Governor Sule as a man secretly working to undermine the same President he so publicly supports is the height of irresponsible journalism. It is a calculated act of political sabotage,” he added.

The government further alleged that unnamed political actors were behind the report in a bid to create disaffection between the governor and the presidency ahead of 2027.

“As the 2027 elections draw closer, certain desperate and faceless political actors have made it their mission to damage the strong relationship that exists between President Tinubu and Governor Sule. That plan will fail,” Addra said.

He maintained that the relationship between APC governors and the president remained solid and rooted in shared goals.

The state government urged the public to disregard the report and called on Peoples Gazette to retract the publication and apologise.

“We urge the public, particularly the good people of Nasarawa State, to disregard this report in its entirety. We equally urge the Peoples Gazette to publish a retraction and offer an apology without delay,” he said.

Addra emphasised the responsibility of the media to uphold professional standards, warning against reliance on anonymous sources without verification.

“Publishing an exclusive story of this magnitude based entirely on anonymous sources, without confirmation from the principal actors involved, falls far below acceptable standards of journalism,” he said.

He reaffirmed Governor Sule’s commitment to the APC, President Tinubu, and the people of Nasarawa State. “Governor Sule remains committed to the APC, committed to President Tinubu, and committed to the people of Nasarawa State. No amount of political mischief will change that,” the statement added.