On Friday afternoon, President Bola Tinubu met in person with his political rival and close challenger from the 2023 presidential election, Alhaji Atiku Abubakar, sparking excitement among worshippers at the National Mosque in Abuja.

Both gladiators, who used to be political allies, were meeting face-to-face for the first time in about 20 months since after the 2023 elections.

Tinubu and Atiku had attended the Juma’at congressional prayer and as well the wedding fatiha of a daughter of former Gombe State governor and Senator representing Gombe Central, Danjuma Goje, at the mosque.

Recall that ahead of the 2023 presidential election, candidates of various political parties vying for Nigeria’s presidency gathered at the International Conference Centre (ICC) in Abuja on Wednesday, February 22, 2023, to sign the Peace Accord organised by the National Peace Committee (NPC).

In attendance at the time were presidential candidates of the Labour Party, Peter Obi; the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP), Atiku Abubakar; the All Progressives Congress (APC), Bola Tinubu; the African Action Congress (AAC), Omoyele Sowore, and the New Nigeria Peoples Party (NNPP), Rabiu Musa Kwankwaso.

Others present were the then President Muhammadu Buhari; the Sultan of Sokoto, Muhammadu Sa’ad Abubakar III; former Heads of State, Generals Yakubu Gowon and Abdulsalami Abubakar; among others.

Since after the 2023 election won by Tinubu and subsequently challenged by Atiku and Obi at the courts, both gladiators had not seen face-to-face until this Friday afternoon even as Atiku continued to criticise Tinubu administration’s policies since the latter’s assumption of power on May 29, 2023.

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