The recent meeting between former Kaduna State governor, Nasir El-Rufai and the leader of the opposition New Nigeria People’s Party (NNPP), Senator Rabiu Musa Kwankwaso, on Thursday stirred fresh speculations that some northern political forces are plotting a coalition to unseat President Bola Ahmed Tinubu come 2027.
Recently, many northern political bigwigs have turned the Daura home of former President Muhammadu Buhari into a sort of Mecca, a situation that has given rise to much questioning among political observers.
Recall that former Vice President Atiku Abubakar, in the company of former governor of Sokoto and Adamawa state, Senator Aminu Tambuwal and Jibrilla Bindow, paid a visit to Buhari, which Atiku tagged a Sallah homage.
Meanwhile, twenty-four hours after Atiku’s visit, El-Rufai also visited the former president, while a former governor of Borno State, Ali Modu Sheriff, visited a few hours later.
Reacting to this development, Senator Shehu Sani, who represented Kaduna Central Senatorial District in the 8th National Assembly, described the visits as attempts geared towards reviving Buhari’s political influence and mobilizing support for the 2027 presidential election.
Sani who cautioned against stirring Arewa sentiment without regard for the potential chaos it could cause, stressed that the attempts by these northern politicians would failed.
However, political analysts are of the view that with both El-Rufai and Kwankwaso currently having grievances with the President Tinubu-led government, their meeting may be part of a strategic scheme to rally around a formidable candidate to unseat the president in 2027.
While President Tinubu has reportedly made overtures to woo Kwankwaso to the All Progressives Congress (APC), the former Kano governor’s political enmity with his successor and current national chairman of the party, Dr. Abdullahi Umar Ganduje, is said to be among the obstacles.
It’s believed that Kwankwaso still nurses some misgivings towards President Tinubu over what those close to him called a betrayal of trust.
After the 2023 presidential election, it was widely reported that Tinubu had offered Kwankwaso a ministerial position, but this was not the case when the list was eventually announced.
His recent ordeal with the Economic and Financial Crimes Commission (EFCC), involving an alleged N2.5 billion pension fraud and campaign finances, has further complicated their relationship.
The situation is similar with El-Rufai, who many believe was dealt a more embarrassing blow after he was nominated by the president for a cabinet position, but a last-minute security report led to his non-clearance by the National Assembly. His loyalists believe the president might have orchestrated the “embarrassment” to diminish the former Kaduna governor’s political clout.
EL-Rufai’s recent ordeal with his anointed successor, Governor Uba Sani, which has seen the state Assembly indict him in an alleged N432 billion misappropriation of state funds during his tenure from 2015 to 2023, adds to his troubles.
Before his meeting with Kwankwaso on Thursday, El-Rufai had been in the news over 2027 speculations recently.
The former governor’s meeting with some political leaders across different parties in March had fuelled speculations about his future political plans.
Earlier, he had met with the national chairman of the Social Democratic Party (SDP), Shehu Musa Gabam, and had another meeting at the Abuja residence of Senator Abubakar Gada, a chieftain of the SDP, and other party leaders
Also present were Senator Teslim Folarin, the APC gubernatorial candidate for Oyo State in the 2023 general elections, and Senator Nazif Suleiman, a chieftain of the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) from Bauchi State, as well as Alhaji Aminu DanAgundi, a political heavyweight and kingmaker in Kano State.
The meeting at Senator Gada’s home came a few days after El-Rufai hosted a gathering at his Abuja residence, which included the National Security Adviser, Nuhu Ribadu, Kashim Ibrahim-Imam (a chieftain of the APC), Shehu Musa Gabam, and others, for a Ramadan iftar (the breaking of fast).
Some analysts believe that with President Tinubu’s desire to consolidate power before 2027, some aggrieved politicians may be using these meetings to stir the hornet’s nest, while others suggest the president may be wary of taking them lightly, considering how similar meetings led to the formation of the APC in 2014, ending the PDP’s 16-year uninterrupted administration.
Those in the latter category believe that the moves by former Vice President Atiku Abubakar to lead a charge for a coalition ahead of the 2027 polls may serve as a launch pad for a major political upset.
