Although the exact details of the meeting were not made public, sources close to the development suggest it is part of ongoing consultations by El-Rufai aimed at forging a coalition strong enough to challenge President Bola Tinubu’s re-election bid.
Katsina, Nigeria – Former Kaduna State Governor, Nasir El-Rufai, on Tuesday met with key figures of the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) and the Social Democratic Party (SDP) in Katsina State, fuelling speculations of an emerging political alliance ahead of the 2027 general elections.
The closed-door meeting, held at a private location in Katsina, was attended by notable political stakeholders including Dr Mustapha Inuwa, a former Secretary to the State Government and leading PDP figure in the state, as well as prominent SDP stalwarts.
Although the exact details of the meeting were not made public, sources close to the development suggest it is part of ongoing consultations by El-Rufai aimed at forging a coalition strong enough to challenge President Bola Tinubu’s re-election bid.
This political move comes just a day after governors under the PDP umbrella publicly ruled out the possibility of joining any coalition, signalling internal complexities within the opposition camp.
Prior to the strategic meeting, El-Rufai had paid a condolence visit to Katsina State Governor, Dikko Radda, over the passing of his mother, Hajia Safara’u Umaru Barebari. He was accompanied by former Sokoto State Governor, Aminu Tambuwal.
El-Rufai, a founding member of the All Progressives Congress (APC), officially announced his resignation from the ruling party on March 10, 2025. In a statement shared via his X (formerly Twitter) account, he cited ideological differences and a perceived departure of the APC from its original progressive principles as the primary reasons for his defection.
“I have fond memories of working with compatriots to negotiate the merger that birthed the APC. Since 2013, I had hoped our values would remain aligned. Unfortunately, in recent years, the party’s direction has become increasingly capricious,” El-Rufai stated.
He further lamented that efforts to privately and publicly raise concerns about the party’s trajectory had yielded no response, leaving him with no option but to seek a new platform aligned with his vision for progressive governance.
El-Rufai’s latest moves have continued to stir reactions within the political landscape, with many observers viewing his actions as the groundwork for a major political realignment that could reshape the 2027 elections.
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