The camp of former Vice President Atiku Abubakar has strongly refuted allegations made by former Ekiti State Governor Ayodele Fayose concerning a recent meeting in Minna, Niger State, between Atiku and Oyo State Governor Seyi Makinde.

In a statement released on Thursday in Abuja, Phrank Shaibu, Senior Special Assistant on Public Communication to Atiku Abubakar, described Fayose’s claims as a “reckless and malicious fabrication” and a “tissue of lies” from a “serial purveyor of political gossip.”

Fayose had earlier posted a statement titled “Between Atiku and Makinde, Untold Story of What Happened in Minna Yesterday,” alleging that the meeting—held at the hilltop residence of former military President General Ibrahim Babangida (IBB)—involved horse-trading for the 2027 elections. He claimed Makinde agreed to join the African Democratic Congress (ADC) on the condition of securing the vice-presidential slot as Atiku’s running mate, pledged ₦10 billion in contributions (to be released in tranches), and that a follow-up meeting was scheduled in Dubai. Fayose further suggested that former Anambra State Governor Peter Obi had been ruled out as a potential running mate.

The Atiku camp categorically denied these assertions. Shaibu stated that no negotiations occurred over vice-presidential tickets, no discussions involved ₦10 billion contributions, no zoning manipulations took place, and there were no delegate-delivery guarantees or plans for a “clandestine Dubai meeting.”

“At no time did former Vice President Atiku Abubakar engage in the imaginary horse-trading described in that laughable script,” Shaibu said. He characterized the claims as “insider fiction” crafted by those seeking relevance through controversy and distortion, adding that dragging other political figures into the narrative only highlighted desperation rather than credibility.

Shaibu emphasized that Atiku’s political engagements remain “broad-based, principled, and national in scope—not the narrow, transactional theatrics invented in that publication.” He insisted that Atiku does not conduct politics through “secrecy, bribery, or transactional desperation,” but focuses instead on national redemption.

The rebuttal comes amid early political maneuvers ahead of the 2027 general elections, following reports of Atiku and Makinde’s separate or joint visits to Babangida’s residence in Minna earlier this week. Atiku has publicly described such engagements as efforts to strengthen party structures, including in the ADC, rather than personal election bids.

The public is advised to disregard the allegations, with Shaibu urging that the publication be treated “with the contempt it deserves.” Neither Makinde’s camp nor other parties mentioned have issued immediate responses to the exchange.