Atiku sponsored Tinubu’s first trip to Saudi Arabia, says aide

Atiku Abubakar’s media aide, Phrank Shaibu, has claimed that the former Vice President sponsored President Bola Tinubu’s first-ever trip to Saudi Arabia and challenged the President to dispute it.

Atiku Abubakar’s media aide, Phrank Shaibu, has claimed that the former Vice President paid for President Bola Tinubu’s first-ever pilgrimage to Saudi Arabia, daring the Nigerian leader to contradict the assertion.

Shaibu made the claim on Monday while appearing on Channels Television’s Politics Today, as reported by Daily Post, where he spoke about Atiku’s alleged generosity and past relationship with Tinubu.

“The first time Bola Tinubu went to the Holy Land in Saudi Arabia, it was on the bills of Atiku Abubakar. He took him there. It’s on record; let him contest it,” Shaibu said.

He described the gesture as an act of kindness rooted in Atiku’s faith. “Atiku, in his magnanimity, sponsored President Tinubu to the Holy Land because of his love for people and the Almighty. Atiku loves bringing people to know God,” he said.

The claim could not be independently verified, and the Presidency had not responded at the time of filing this report.

Atiku is the African Democratic Congress presidential candidate in the 2027 election, in which he will face Tinubu, the incumbent All Progressives Congress candidate.