Archbishop of Canterbury and long time friend of Muhammadu Buhari, Justin Welby, Saturday held an incredible meeting with the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) presidential candidate, Atiku Abubakar, in Abuja.
Such a surprise meeting was interpreted by many to imply that the former vice-president who emerged as the PDP presidential flag bearer in Port Harcourt the previous Saturday, might be securing international support for his ambition.
Uche Secondus, national chairman of the PDP, Gbenga Daniel, director-general of Atiku’s campaign, and Paul Arkwright, British high commissioner, were present when Welby met with the PDP presidential flag bearer in Abuja.
Later in the night, Welby along with the Sultan of Sokoto, some Nigerian ex-heads of state and other religious leaders were hosted to a dinner by Buhari in the Presidential Villa.
Welby’s meeting with Atiku, Buhari’s main challenger at the forthcoming presidential poll, however, generated interest in view of his relationship with latter which spanned decades, beginning from the time the archbishop lived and served in Nigeria as an Executive Director of the French oil corporation, Elf Aquitaine, in the 1970s when the Buhari was Nigeria’s Minister of Petroleum.
In continuation of their long relationship, Welby has always visited Buhari in the Nigeria House anytime the Nigerian president is in London.