The immediate past governor of Kaduna State, Nasir El-Rufai, paid a visit to the 2023 Presidential Candidate of the New Nigerian Peoples Party (NNPP), Rabiu Musa Kwankwaso, on Thursday, June 27, at his Abuja residence.
This meeting follows closely after El-Rufai’s visit to former President, Muhammadu Buhari in Daura, Katsina State, which has fueled speculations about his current political alignments and intentions.
Despite being a prominent chieftain of the All Progressives Congress (APC), El-Rufai’s recent interactions with figures from various opposition parties have caught the attention of political analysts and the public alike.
In March, El-Rufai also made headlines with his visit to the national chairman of the Social Democratic Party (SDP) in Abuja, indicating a possible reevaluation of his political affiliations.
This comes after a setback earlier in the year when El-Rufai, a former Minister of the Federal Capital Territory (FCT), was overlooked for a ministerial position in President Bola Tinubu’s government, reportedly due to a failed security clearance by the Senate.
Following his exclusion from the ministerial list, El-Rufai had briefly moved abroad and stepped away from the political spotlight.
His return to Nigeria and subsequent resumption of public appearances, including the recent visit to the SDP’s national secretariat, have reignited discussions about his future role in Nigerian politics.
Commenting on these developments, Shehu Sani, a former Senator from Kaduna Central, suggested that El-Rufai’s visits, along with those of other northern politicians to Buhari, might be part of a broader strategy aimed at repositioning for the 2027 elections, possibly hinting at challenges to President Tinubu’s administration.
