El-rufai visits Tunde Bakare, Aregbesola in Lagos, breaks fast with Atiku In Abuja

Former Kaduna State Governor, Malam Nasir El-Rufai, recently visited former Interior Minister Rauf Aregbesola and renowned cleric Pastor Tunde Bakare in Lagos, fueling speculations about his political future.

El-Rufai’s media adviser, Muyiwa Adekeye, disclosed the visit in a tweet, saying, “Malam Nasir @elrufai was in Lagos today to visit Ogbeni @raufaregbesola and Pastor Tunde Bakare.”

This visit comes shortly after El-Rufai met with former President Muhammadu Buhari in Kaduna, reportedly informing him about his next political moves. There have been increasing reports of his close allies in Kaduna defecting to the Social Democratic Party (SDP), raising suspicions of a potential defection.

Aregbesola, a former Osun State governor, recently left the All Progressives Congress (APC) after internal party crises, while Bakare, a former APC presidential aspirant, remains an influential political voice. These meetings suggest El-Rufai may be exploring strategic alliances ahead of the 2027 general elections.

Upon returning from Lagos, El-Rufai also visited former Vice President Atiku Abubakar in Abuja. Atiku confirmed the meeting in a post on X (formerly Twitter), saying, “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 Dismisses Defection Rumors, Pushes for Opposition Coalition

Meanwhile, Atiku has dismissed claims that he plans to leave the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP). In a statement issued by his media office, he clarified that his advocacy for a broad opposition coalition is not a sign of defection but a strategy to challenge the APC in 2027.

“The so-called news of Atiku defecting to another party is a total fallacy that holds no merit in logic,” the statement read.

Atiku, the PDP’s 2023 presidential candidate, has been vocal about the need for a united opposition to challenge the APC, which he accuses of governance failures and worsening economic conditions.

Political analysts believe these recent meetings, particularly El-Rufai’s engagements with key figures outside the APC, are part of broader preparations to build a formidable opposition coalition against President Bola Tinubu’s administration in the next election.