Former Vice President and African Democratic Congress (ADC) presidential candidate, Atiku Abubakar, has held a closed-door meeting with his rival, Hayatu-Deen, at his residence in Lagos.

The meeting is understood to be part of ongoing reconciliation efforts within the party following its recently concluded presidential primary election.Sources say the engagement is aimed at calming tensions and bringing together aggrieved members ahead of the 2027 general elections.

Hayatu-Deen, who contested the ADC presidential primary alongside Atiku and former Minister of Transportation, Rotimi Amaechi, had earlier withdrawn from the race before the final announcement of results.He accused the process of widespread vote rigging and irregularities, saying he personally observed some of the incidents during the exercise.Despite his withdrawal, the party proceeded to declare results, with Atiku emerging as winner with 1,846,370 votes.Amaechi came second with 504,117 votes, while Hayatu-Deen polled 177,120 votes.Following the outcome, Amaechi also rejected the results, describing them as manipulated and alleging voter disenfranchisement.

The ADC leadership, through National Chairman Senator David Mark, maintained that the primary was largely free and fair, though not without some shortcomings, adding that all aspirants were qualified but only one could emerge.

Atiku has since intensified reconciliation efforts, including an earlier meeting with Amaechi where discussions reportedly focused on national issues such as insecurity and economic hardship.

The latest meeting with Hayatu-Deen is seen as another step toward unifying the party and strengthening its chances ahead of the 2027 elections, where the ADC plans to challenge President Bola Tinubu’s administration.An interview session with Hayatu-Deen is expected after the meeting.