Former Kaduna State Governor, Nasir El-Rufai, has once again set the political landscape abuzz following his recent visit to ex-Minister of Interior, Rauf Aregbesola, and renowned cleric, Pastor Tunde Bakare, in Lagos. The high-profile meetings, which took place on Sunday, have sparked intense speculation about El-Rufai’s next political moves as Nigeria inches closer to the 2027 general elections.
Photographs of the Kaduna politician posing with Aregbesola and Bakare have gone viral on social media, fueling debates about the purpose of these visits. Although the details of their discussions remain undisclosed, many believe that El-Rufai is engaged in a strategic consultation as he recalibrates his political alignment.
In recent times, El-Rufai has become one of the most vocal critics of the ruling party, despite being a chieftain of the All Progressives Congress (APC). His dissatisfaction with the current administration, led by President Bola Tinubu, became evident following his dramatic fallout with the National Assembly during ministerial screenings, which ultimately led to his rejection. El-Rufai has since blamed Tinubu for the setback, alleging deliberate exclusion from the ministerial list.
Interestingly, his recent engagements have seen him gravitate towards political figures who have also had their differences with the APC leadership. Aregbesola, once a close ally of Tinubu, formally severed ties with the APC and led his supporters in Osun State out of the party. Similarly, Bakare, who contested against Tinubu in the 2023 APC presidential primaries, has maintained a critical stance against the current administration.
El-Rufai’s latest political outings extend beyond this Lagos visit. Just days before his meeting with Aregbesola and Bakare, the former Kaduna governor paid a visit to former President Muhammadu Buhari in Kaduna, another move that has raised eyebrows within political circles. The recurrent nature of these visits suggests that El-Rufai is not merely reconnecting with old friends but is deeply involved in strategic repositioning.
Muyiwa Adekeye, El-Rufai’s media adviser, confirmed the Lagos visit in a tweet on Sunday, stating, “Malam Nasir @elrufai was in Lagos today to visit Ogbeni @raufaregbesola and Pastor Tunde Bakare.”
With increasing indications of a potential rift between El-Rufai and the ruling APC, many analysts are questioning whether he will remain within the party or take a different political route ahead of the 2027 elections. In a recent interview on Arise Television, El-Rufai hinted at the possibility of leaving the APC, citing feelings of abandonment by the party leadership. When pressed on whether he would support Tinubu’s re-election in 2027, the former governor evaded the question, stating that he was unsure if he would still be in the APC by then.
His perceived anti-party activities have not gone unnoticed by APC leadership. Felix Morka, the party’s National Publicity Secretary, recently questioned El-Rufai’s true motives following the National Executive Committee meeting in Abuja. Meanwhile, APC’s National Secretary, Senator Ajibola Basiru, downplayed the significance of El-Rufai’s movements, stating that the party has more pressing matters to focus on.
“We don’t have any comment. Anybody who wants to worry about his movements is free. So far, he is a Nigerian, El-Rufai is free to visit anybody he likes. We have more serious work to do than to comment on anybody roaming around,” Basiru remarked.
Echoing similar sentiments, the National Deputy Organising Secretary of the APC, Nze Chidi Duru, stressed that El-Rufai, like every Nigerian, has the right to associate with whomever he pleases. He recalled that the former Kaduna governor had visited Aregbesola in the past and later realigned with the APC, suggesting that there may be no immediate political implications to these meetings.
“You remember that he once visited Aregbesola when he was governor. But at the end of the day, he returned and supported Mr. President. In recognition of that, there is freedom of association, which is very important. And it is good that he is exercising it to the highest,” Duru said.
Despite these reassurances, El-Rufai’s increasing interactions with opposition figures, including the 2023 presidential candidate of the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP), Atiku Abubakar, hint at a deeper realignment in the country’s political space. His future political direction remains uncertain, but one thing is clear: El-Rufai is a politician who never moves without a plan. Whether he remains in the APC or charts a new course, his next steps will undoubtedly shape the political discourse in the lead-up to the 2027 elections.
