A political coalition meeting involving key national figures, including former Vice President Atiku Abubakar, Labour Party presidential candidate Peter Obi, and former Rivers State Governor Rotimi Amaechi, was briefly thrown into disarray on Saturday following a protest by delegates from Jigawa State.
The meeting, held at the Abuja Continental Hotel and convened by the National Political Consultative Group (North), experienced a tense interruption when former Secretary to the Government of the Federation, Babachir Lawal, announced a delegate to speak on behalf of Jigawa.
The announcement triggered an immediate backlash. A group of Jigawa delegates stormed the stage in protest, blocking the named speaker and insisting they would not accept representation by an appointee they did not endorse.
Security officials, including officers from the Nigeria Police Force, the Department of State Services, and private security personnel, moved swiftly to shield prominent attendees such as Atiku, Amaechi, and Obi, forming a protective barrier as the situation escalated.
Following several minutes of appeals and negotiation, calm was eventually restored. Mustapha Lamido, the son of former Jigawa State Governor Sule Lamido, along with another delegate, was agreed upon to represent the state during the proceedings.
The coalition meeting continued afterwards, but the incident highlighted lingering tensions over internal representation among key northern political blocs.