Former Minister of Youth and Sports Development and African Democratic Congress (ADC) chieftain, Solomon Dalung, has claimed that the late President Muhammadu Buhari’s political support base, estimated at 12 million votes, has shifted to former Vice-President Atiku Abubakar ahead of the 2027 presidential election.
Dalung made the controversial remarks during an appearance on Channels Television’s Politics Today, where he discussed the ADC’s political prospects and the growing realignments ahead of the next general election.
According to him, former First Lady Aisha Buhari’s visit to Atiku’s residence in Abuja was a significant political signal, which he interpreted as an indication that the late president’s supporters were moving towards the ADC presidential candidate.
Dalung alleged that Aisha Buhari visited Atiku to communicate that the votes associated with her late husband had been transferred to him.
He said: “And then that, of the General Muhammadu Buhari’s 12 million votes, of course, last month or thereabouts, you saw when the wife of the late president visited Atiku in his residence in Abuja, the message she took was for any politician to know, is that the 12 million votes have been successfully transferred.”
The former minister went further with a striking remark, suggesting that the late president had indirectly communicated his political preference from beyond the grave.
“We have had a phone call from the grave of Buhari that we should vote Atiku,” Dalung said.
He presented the development as evidence of growing political momentum behind Atiku and the ADC as opposition parties position themselves for the 2027 election.
Dalung also expressed confidence that President Bola Tinubu would face a difficult challenge from Atiku, arguing that the former vice-president possessed a nationwide political structure capable of mobilising support across different parts of the country.
He maintained that Atiku’s political network was rooted in the structure associated with the late General Shehu Musa Yar’Adua, describing the former vice-president as a politician with an established national political base.
Dalung further argued that even if Tinubu took control of the ADC national secretariat and prevented the party from campaigning, it would not stop Atiku from defeating him.
The remarks come amid increased political consultations and alignments ahead of the 2027 general election, with opposition figures seeking to consolidate support against the ruling All Progressives Congress.
Aisha Buhari’s visit to Atiku was publicly disclosed by the former vice-president on September 17, 2026. Atiku described the meeting as warm and appreciated, while highlighting the need for political leaders to prioritise the welfare and future of Nigerians.
However, neither Aisha Buhari nor Atiku publicly disclosed that the meeting involved a transfer of votes, an endorsement of Atiku’s presidential ambition or an agreement to move the late president’s political supporters to the ADC.
There has also been no independently established evidence that 12 million votes belonging to or controlled by the late president have been transferred to any political candidate. Votes are cast individually by eligible voters, and political support cannot formally be transferred through a private meeting.
Dalung’s statement should therefore be understood as his political interpretation of Aisha Buhari’s visit and the possible realignment of voters ahead of the next election, rather than an established electoral development.
The comments have nevertheless added to discussions surrounding the political implications of the former First Lady’s meeting with Atiku and the evolving opposition coalition ahead of 2027.
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