Some prominent politicians in the country, including Mallam Nasir El-Rufai, former governor of Kaduna State, and Major Hamza Al-Mustapha, former presidential candidate, have met with the Social Democratic Party (SDP) leadership in Abuja to strategize ahead of the 2027 general elections.
The closed-door meeting, which took place at the SDP national secretariat, has sparked speculations about potential political realignments ahead of the 2027 general elections.
In attendance at the parley was People’s Democratic Party (PDP) presidential candidate Atiku Abubakar’s former spokesman, Otunba Segun Showunmi.
-Although the specific agenda of the meeting was not disclosed, it is being described as part of a broader strategy to forge alliances among opposition figures to present a formidable challenge to President Bola Tinubu in the next election cycle.
El-Rufai, once a supporter but now a critic of President Tinubu’s style of governance, did not make the ministerial list after the Senate withheld his and two others’ confirmations, citing security reports from the Department of State Security Service (DSS) last year.
Two others who did not make the ministerial list at the time were Sani Danladi, a former Senator from Taraba, and Stella Okotete, a nominee from Delta State.
Showunmi confirmed the meeting in a Facebook post, describing it as a “strategic gathering” convened by SDP Chairman, Shehu Gabam, to evaluate the state of opposition politics in Nigeria.
“You must set forth at dawn! HE Shehu Gabam, Chairman of SDP, called a Strategic Meeting, with HE Nasir El-Rufai, Major Hamza Al-Mustapha, Otunba Segun Showunmi. The alternative to meet, greet, and review the state of opposition democratic engagement in Nigeria,” Showunmi wrote.
This is two days after El-Rufai denied some quarters’ claim that he was planning to dump the ruling APC for an opposition party.
In a post on his X handle on Sunday, the former Kaduna governor asked Nigerians to disregard the claim.
El-Rufai posted, “Please, disregard the patent lies and rumours about my political affiliation. I have referred the lead peddlers of the fake news for further action by my lawyers.”
However, prominent APC figures like El-Rufai’s involvement in discussions with SDP leaders has fuelled speculation about potential cracks within the ruling party.
While El-Rufai remains a key figure in the APC, political analysts are closely monitoring his participation in opposition-related activities.
