Former Kogi State Governor Yahaya Bello, former Plateau State Governor Simon Lalong and other political figures have held a closed-door meeting with Vice President Kashim Shettima at the Presidential Villa in Abuja.

The delegation, identified as the leadership of the National Directorate of Arewa for Asiwaju Movement, arrived at the Aso Rock Presidential Villa at about 4 pm on Monday and proceeded to the Vice President’s wing of the State House.

Other members of the delegation included former Jigawa State Governor Abubakar Badaru, Director-General of the National Drug Law Enforcement Agency (NDLEA), Brigadier General Buba Marwa (retd.), and Special Adviser to the President on Policy Coordination, Hadiza Bala-Usman.

The purpose of the meeting was not immediately disclosed. However, reports indicated that the visit was a courtesy call on the Vice President.

At the time the delegation arrived, Shettima was attending another meeting at the President’s wing of the State House. That meeting, which began at about 2 pm, was attended by the Minister of Livestock Development, Idi Maiha, and the Special Adviser to the President and Coordinator of the Presidential Livestock Reform, Professor Attahiru Jega, among others.

Jega, a former chairman of the Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC), has been involved in the Federal Government’s livestock reform initiative.

The meeting between Shettima and the delegation comes as the All Progressives Congress (APC) intensifies preparations for the 2027 general elections, with President Bola Tinubu seeking re-election.

The APC is scheduled to inaugurate its Presidential Campaign Council on Wednesday, October 14, at the State House Conference Centre in Abuja.

The development was disclosed by the Director-General of the campaign council, Senator Abdulaziz Yari, on Friday after briefing Tinubu at the Presidential Villa.

Yari also announced that the party’s presidential campaign would officially begin in Kaduna State on October 24, before moving to Port Harcourt and Maiduguri.

He said the full campaign timetable would be made public after the inauguration of the council.

Super Eagles legend Austin ‘Jay-Jay’ Okocha has backed Kylian Mbappé to win the 2026 Ballon d’Or, believing the Real Madrid forward has done enough to earn football’s biggest individual prize.

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Okocha admits that this year’s race is more exciting than ever, with Bayern Munich striker Harry Kane, Barcelona’s Lamine Yamal and several Paris Saint-Germain players also in contention. However, the former Nigerian international believes Mbappé’s goal-scoring record gives him a strong case for the award.

Despite acknowledging the strong competition, the former Paris Saint-Germain playmaker made his preference clear, pointing to Mbappé’s scoring achievements in three major competitions.

“I think Mbappé deserves it for having been the top scorer in the World Cup (10 goals), the Champions League (15) and the Spanish league (25),” he added.

Kane, however, has also enjoyed an outstanding season. The England captain scored 73 goals for Bayern Munich and the national team during the 2025–26 campaign, strengthening his position among the leading candidates for the award.

The debate is therefore about more than choosing between two prolific strikers. While Mbappé’s numbers across major competitions have impressed Okocha, Kane’s remarkable goal return has also given him a strong argument.

The 2026 Ballon d’Or ceremony is scheduled for October 26 in London, where the winner will be announced.

With several players making convincing cases, the final decision promises to attract plenty of attention from football fans.

For Okocha, though, Mbappé has already done enough to stand out from the competition.