Abuja, Nigeria — In what many observers see as early signs of political repositioning ahead of the 2027 general elections, former Kaduna State Governor, Mallam Nasir El-Rufai, over the weekend paid separate visits to former Vice President Atiku Abubakar, former Interior Minister Rauf Aregbesola, and pastor-politician Tunde Bakare.
The meetings come amid growing speculation that El-Rufai, a prominent figure in the All Progressives Congress (APC), may be considering a political shift following his public criticism of the ruling party. The visits were seen by insiders as part of wider consultations as Nigeria’s political actors begin to realign for the next electoral cycle.
El-Rufai met Atiku Abubakar in Yola, Adamawa State. Atiku, who was the presidential candidate of the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) in the 2023 elections, shared a photo and details of the meeting on his official X (formerly Twitter) page.
“After tonight’s Iftar (breaking of fast), I received in audience, former Governor of Kaduna State, @elrufai, former Governor of Adamawa, Jibrilla Bindow, and Musa Halilu, Dujima Adamawa. Our robust discussions were the dessert of the meal,” Atiku wrote, hinting at strategic dialogue during the Ramadan visit.
In Lagos, El-Rufai also visited Pastor Tunde Bakare, founder of the Citadel Global Community Church (formerly Latter Rain Assembly), and former Osun State Governor Rauf Aregbesola. These meetings have further fueled talks about potential political coalitions or a new movement leading into 2027.
El-Rufai’s visit to Aregbesola is particularly noteworthy given the former minister’s recent expulsion from the APC by the Osun State chapter in January for alleged anti-party activities. His political group, the Omoluabi Progressives, had also recently exited the APC.
Though no official statement was released from El-Rufai’s camp, the former FCT Minister has openly criticized the APC in recent months and was reportedly in talks with leaders of the Social Democratic Party (SDP) earlier this year to explore new political alignments.
Meanwhile, Atiku has consistently advocated for the formation of a broad-based political coalition capable of unseating the APC in the 2027 presidential election.
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Political analysts suggest that the meetings between these high-profile figures could signal the beginning of a realignment among disenchanted politicians across party lines — a possible repeat of the kind of coalition-building that helped form the APC itself in 2013.
With 2027 still a few years away, El-Rufai’s weekend visits may be early moves in a high-stakes political chess game — one that could reshape Nigeria’s political landscape once again.
