Former Kaduna State Governor Mallam Nasir El-Rufai hosted Rabiu Musa Kwankwaso, the presidential candidate of the New Nigerian People’s Party (NNPP) in the 2023 elections, at his Abuja residence on Thursday. This meeting occurred just days after El-Rufai’s visit to former President Muhammadu Buhari in Daura, Katsina State.
The visit has fueled speculations about El-Rufai’s potential alignment with opposition parties ahead of the 2027 presidential election. In March, El-Rufai also visited the national chairman of the Social Democratic Party (SDP) in Abuja, further stirring rumours of his political manoeuvres.
El-Rufai was previously in line for a ministerial appointment, nominated by President Bola Tinubu, but was unexpectedly dropped during the final screening stages. Since then, the All Progressives Congress (APC) chieftain has been vocal in his criticism of the current administration.
On April 15, El-Rufai criticized the Tinubu-led federal government for its expenditure on petrol subsidies, stating, “The federal government is now subsidizing fuel; many people don’t know this.”
Former Senator Shehu Sani, who represented Kaduna Central in the 8th National Assembly, reacted to El-Rufai’s recent visit to Buhari by suggesting it is part of a broader strategy by northern politicians to challenge President Tinubu in the next election.
