Atiku hosts Aisha Buhari, daughter in Saudi Arabia

 

Former Vice President Atiku Abubakar has hosted the wife of former President Muhammadu Buhari, Hajiya Aisha Buhari, and members of her family during their visit to Saudi Arabia.

Atiku disclosed this in a statement on Friday, noting that the former First Lady, her daughter Hanan, and other relatives paid him a courtesy visit while they were in the Kingdom to perform the lesser hajj.

“I was honoured to host Hajiya Aisha Buhari, wife of former President Muhammadu Buhari, her daughter Hanan, and other family members during their visit to me in Saudi Arabia. Like me, the former First Lady and her family are in the Kingdom on a lesser hajj,” Atiku said.

The former vice president, who was the presidential candidate of the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) in the 2023 general election, is also in Saudi Arabia for the religious exercise.

The visit is seen as a notable interaction between families of two prominent political figures from different political parties, coming amid ongoing political realignments ahead of the 2027 general elections.

Atiku served as Nigeria’s vice president from 1999 to 2007 under former President Olusegun Obasanjo. He has contested for the presidency multiple times and was the PDP’s candidate in the 2019 and 2023 elections.

Aisha Buhari served as Nigeria’s First Lady from 2015 to 2023 during the presidency of Muhammadu Buhari, who governed under the All Progressives Congress (APC). Since leaving office, the former president and his family have largely maintained a low political profile.