2027 Election: El-Rufai Replies Sani, Critics as Atiku, Ex-Kaduna Gov, Others Visit Buhari
- Mallam Nasir El-Rufai, the immediate past governor of Kaduna state, has advised his political adversaries not to lose sleep over his visit to ex-Nigerian leader Muhammadu Buhari
- On March 10, El-Rufai announced his defection from the ruling All Progressive Change (APC) to the Social Democratic Party (SDP), citing a growing misalignment between his values and the current direction of the APC
- El-Rufai, who was among the former governors who accompanied Atiku Abubakar to Buhari’s Kaduna residence on Friday, April 11, gave a cryptic update on social media
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Kaduna, Kaduna state - Nasir El-Rufai, the former governor of Kaduna state, on Friday, April 11, took a cryptic dig at his opponents.
Legit.ng reports that El-Rufai recently exited the ruling All Progressives Congress (APC) for the Social Democratic Party (SDP). He asked opposition figures—including Atiku Abubakar, Peter Obi, Sule Lamido, Rotimi Amaechi, and Rauf Aregbesola—to imitate him.
Source: Facebook
Following the former Kaduna governor’s party switch, Senator Shehu Sani, a former Kaduna federal lawmaker, said El-Rufai’s political relevance and fortune have diminished. Sani projected that the APC will win the state, presidential, and national assembly elections in 2027.
In the same vein, the Kaduna state chapter of the APC dismissed claims by the SDP that it is worried about the defection of El-Rufai and his ex-commissioner, Ja’afaru Sani, to the SDP.
In a statement signed by the APC chairman, Air Commodore Emmanuel Jekada (retd), and secretary Yahaya Baba-Pate, the party described the SDP’s claims as “vituperations of political non-starters” who have “demystified themselves by pushing their lucks too far.”
The party also warned that by accepting El-Rufai, the SDP has “sown the seed of its own destruction,” predicting that he would soon “throw a cat amongst the pigeons” within the party.
Similarly, former governor of Jigawa state Sule Lamido rejected an invitation from El-Rufai to join the SDP. The Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) stalwart dismissed the invitation as an insult, arguing that the PDP—which he helped build—played a key role in El-Rufai’s political rise.
Source: Facebook
Responding to those undermining his political strength, El-Rufai published a video of his latest visit to Buhari and wrote on X:
“Former VP Atiku Abubakar, former Governors Aminu Tambuwal (Sokoto), Achike Udenwa (Imo), Gabriel Suswam (Benue), and I, among others, were in Kaduna for Post-Sallah courtesies to former President Muhammadu Buhari. We joined over faithful for Jumaat prayers at the Yahaya Road Mosque and had a sumptuous lunch at the Buhari residence.
“By the way, our adversaries should not lose any sleep. It is not about politics. It is about unity and brotherhood. And since we were all politically irrelevant, we just prayed and enjoyed lunch with our mentor.”
Fasua downplays planned coalition by El-Rufai and others
Earlier, Legit.ng reported that Tope Fasua, the special adviser to President Bola Tinubu on economic affairs (vice president’s office), said he did not see any candidate who would defeat the Nigerian leader in the 2027 election.
Fasua’s stance was in reaction to the recent announcement of an opposition coalition to challenge the APC in the next presidential election.
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Source: Legit.ng
Ridwan Adeola (Current Affairs Editor) Ridwan Adeola Yusuf is a content creator with more than nine years of experience, He is also a Current Affairs Editor at Legit.ng. He holds a Higher National Diploma in Mass Communication from the Polytechnic Ibadan, Oyo State (2014). Ridwan previously worked at Africa Check, contributing to fact-checking research works within the organisation. He is an active member of the Academic Excellence Initiative (AEI). In March 2024, Ridwan completed the full Google News Initiative Lab workshop and his effort was recognised with a Certificate of Completion. Email: ridwan.adeola@corp.legit.ng.
Kola Muhammed (Copyeditor) Kola Muhammed is an experienced editor and content strategist who has overseen content and public relations strategies for some of the biggest (media) brands in Sub-Saharan Africa. He has over 5 years of experience in copyediting.
