Kogiflame
In what appeared to be a chance meeting between former Vice President Atiku Abubakar and All Progressives Congress (APC) national leader, Asiwaju Bola Ahmed Tinubu, at the Nnamdi Azikiwe International Airport Abuja on Friday night, both politicians threw banters at each other to the amazement of their aides and onlookers.
Atiku returned to the country from Dubai, UAE, after a long absence from the country while Tinubu was apparently trying to catch a flight to his Lagos base at night when both ran into each other.
According to a video obtained by LEADERSHIP which depicts the account of the encounter, Atiku was already in his vehicle ready to be ferried away when some people, who appeared to be aides of the former vice president sighted Tinubu and they approached him to inform the APC chieftain of their principal’s presence.
Tinubu was subsequently ushered to where Atiku’s vehicle was parked and the latter on sighting the former Lagos State governor approaching his direction, alighted from the vehicle to exchange pleasantries with Asiwaju.
The following conversation ensued between an excited Atiku and Tinubu:
Atiku: Ehn, Asiwaju, where are you going this night. Dem dey drive you from town?
Tinubu: No o o! I am going back to Lagos.
Atiku: I just came in…
Tinubu: Why are you late?
Atiku: Late, am I late coming? I left Dubai what time, this afternoon. It’s a seven-hour flight.
Tinubu: When are you coming (to Lagos)?
Atiku: When you invite me, I come. If you don’t invite me, I don’t come.
Tinubu: (Fainted voice)?
Atiku: Tomorrow (Saturday) I am going to Yola….I will come around sha (to Lagos) at least to greet some people who have been bereaved.
Tinubu: God bless us (walks away).
Atiku: Amin o.
However, when this reporter contacted Atiku’s spokesperson, Paul Ibe, late Friday night, he denied the chance meeting of both political heavyweights.
“Which airport? I am not aware,” Ibe said and ended the call and did not answer subsequent calls made to his phone.
Meanwhile, a credible source in Atiku’s camp told LEADERSHIP that Atiku returned to Nigeria for a function in Yola, Adamawa State.
He said a son of the former vice president, who is the Commissioner for Works and Energy in Adamawa State, Adamu Atiku Abubakar, has initiated some projects in the state, which have been serialised launched with his father expected at the grand finale this weekend.
Leadership
