On Thursday, Mallam Nasir El-Rufai, the former Governor of Kaduna State, hosted Rabiu Musa Kwankwaso, the New Nigerian People’s Party (NNPP) presidential candidate for the 2023 elections, at his home in Abuja.
This meeting occurred shortly after El-Rufai’s visit to ex-President Muhammadu Buhari in Daura, Katsina State.
There are rumors suggesting El-Rufai is forming alliances with opposition parties in anticipation of the 2027 presidential election.
Earlier in March, El-Rufai visited the Social Democratic Party (SDP) national chairman in Abuja. Although President Bola Tinubu nominated him for a ministerial role, El-Rufai was not appointed during the final stages of screening.
As a senior member of the All Progressives Congress (APC), El-Rufai has openly criticized the current government. On April 15, he condemned the Bola Tinubu administration for spending more on petrol subsidies than previous governments. “The federal government is now subsidizing fuel; many people don’t know this,” he said.
Reacting to El-Rufai’s visit to Buhari, former Senator Shehu Sani, who represented Kaduna Central in the 8th National Assembly, suggested it was part of a plan by some prominent northern politicians to challenge President Tinubu in the upcoming election.