National Secretary of the All Progressives Congress (APC), Ajibola Basiru, has mocked former Vice President Atiku Abubakar over an image showing him apparently dozing off during Saturday’s opposition summit in Ibadan, Oyo State.

Atiku, a leading presidential aspirant on the platform of the opposition African Democratic Congress (ADC), was captured in a screen grab from a live broadcast by Arise News, seated beside Kabiru Turaki, the national chairman of a faction of the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP), during the meeting.

Basiru shared the image of a dozing Atiku on his Facebook page on Sunday with the caption: “And the opposition leader slept at the all-important opposition summit…..”

The post quickly triggered a flurry of reactions on social media, many of them critical or laced with sarcasm.

Beyond the online reactions, Basiru also questioned the legitimacy of the Ibadan meeting, describing it as “a ruse” rather than a formal gathering of political parties.

“For parties to meet, there must be prior authorisation from their National Working Committee (NWC) or National Executive Committee (NEC). Without that, it is simply a gathering of individuals,” he said.

“If they now claim that ten political parties met to gang up against one party, it contradicts their earlier narrative. It shows that the political space remains open, but they lack the strength to compete individually.”

The summit, held at the Oyo State Government House in Ibadan, brought together key opposition figures, including Peter Obi, Aminu Tambuwal, Rabiu Kwankwaso, David Mark, and Rauf Aregbesola, among others.

In a communiqué issued after the meeting, opposition parties — including ADC, Labour Party (LP), and the New Nigeria People’s Party (NNPP) — announced plans to field a single candidate for the 2027 presidential election to challenge the ruling APC and President Bola Ahmed Tinubu.

They also accused the APC of attempting to steer Nigeria toward a one-party state and called for urgent amendments to the Electoral Act 2026, while raising concerns about the leadership of the Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC), citing alleged bias.

Despite the controversy over the viral image, Atiku struck a conciliatory tone in his remarks, saying opposition leaders had “spoken with one voice” and emphasising 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,” he wrote, thanking Governor Seyi Makinde and the people of Oyo State for hosting the event. (Sunday Tribune)

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