Vice-President Kashim Shettima is holding a closed-door meeting with former Kogi State Governor Yahaya Bello, former Jigawa State Governor Abubakar Badaru and other political figures at the Presidential Villa, Abuja.

The delegation, identified as leaders of the National Directorate of Arewa for Asiwaju Movement, arrived at the State House at about 4pm and proceeded to the Vice-President’s wing.

However, Shettima was still attending a separate meeting at the President’s wing, which began around 2pm, when the delegation arrived.

The earlier meeting had the Minister of Livestock Development, Idi Maiha, and the Special Adviser to the President and Coordinator of the Presidential Livestock Reform, Prof. Attahiru Jega, in attendance, among others.

Jega is a former chairman of the Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC).

Although the purpose of the delegation’s visit was not immediately known, it was gathered that the meeting was a courtesy visit.

Also present at the Villa were former Plateau State Governor Simon Lalong, Director-General of the National Drug Law Enforcement Agency, Brig. Gen. Buba Marwa (retd.), and Special Adviser to the President on Policy Coordination, Hadiza Bala-Usman, among others.

The meeting comes two days before the planned inauguration of the All Progressives Congress (APC) Presidential Campaign Council on Wednesday, October 14, at the State House Conference Centre, Abuja.

It also precedes the party’s planned campaign flag-off in Kaduna State on October 24, ahead of the 2027 presidential election.

The Director-General of the campaign council, Senator Abdulaziz Yari, announced the dates to State House correspondents on Friday after briefing President Bola Tinubu at the Villa.

Yari said the campaign would move to Port Harcourt and Maiduguri after the Kaduna flag-off. He added that the full campaign schedule would be released after the council’s inauguration.

Tinubu is seeking re-election in the presidential election scheduled for January 16, 2027. (Vanguard)