By Zailani Mustapha In a move that has sent shockwaves through the political landscape, Mallam Nasir El-Rufai, the former governor of Kad...
By Zailani Mustapha
In a move that has sent shockwaves through the political landscape, Mallam Nasir El-Rufai, the former governor of Kaduna State, hosted Senator Rabiu Musa Kwankwaso at his Abuja residence on Thursday. This high-profile meeting comes just days after El-Rufai's visit to former President Muhammadu Buhari in Daura, Katsina State, raising eyebrows and sparking intense speculation about the motives behind these interactions.
El-Rufai, an influential All Progressives Congress (APC) chieftain, has recently been cozying up to opposition figures, a trend that has not gone unnoticed. His latest rendezvous with Kwankwaso, the New Nigerian Peoples Party (NNPP) Presidential Candidate, has added fuel to the fire.
In March, El-Rufai defied party lines and visited the national chairman of the Social Democratic Party (SDP) in Abuja, a move that was seen as a blatant disregard for potential repercussions. This meeting followed a series of controversial events, including El-Rufai's last-minute exclusion from a ministerial appointment in President Bola Tinubu's government due to alleged security clearance issues.
After being dropped from the ministerial list, El-Rufai withdrew from the political scene and went abroad, seemingly abandoning his political ambitions. However, his recent return to Nigeria and subsequent political maneuvers, including the visit to the SDP national secretariat, have reignited discussions about his future plans and alliances.
The plot thickened when former Senator Shehu Sani, who represented Kaduna Central in the 8th National Assembly, commented on El-Rufai's visit to Buhari.
Sani suggested that these meetings among prominent northern politicians might be part of a larger scheme to unseat President Tinubu in the 2027 elections. This assertion has only added to the drama and intrigue surrounding El-Rufai's recent activities.
The political landscape is abuzz with theories and conjectures. El-Rufai's latest moves are seen by many as a strategic positioning ahead of the 2027 elections, potentially signaling a shift in alliances and power dynamics within the APC and beyond. Critics argue that El-Rufai's outreach to opposition figures like Kwankwaso is a calculated attempt to build a broad-based coalition capable of challenging the current administration.
Moreover, insiders claim that El-Rufai's actions reflect a deeper dissatisfaction within the APC ranks, where internal strife and power struggles are becoming increasingly evident.
The former governor's ability to galvanize support from diverse political factions could herald a new era of political realignment in Nigeria.
As tensions rise and the stakes grow higher, the nation watches closely, knowing that the ramifications of El-Rufai's maneuvers could have profound implications for the future of Nigerian politics.
The question remains: Is El-Rufai positioning himself as a kingmaker or a potential king in the next political dispensation? Only time will tell.
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