The All Progressives Congress (APC) has dismissed concerns over the recent political interactions between former Kaduna State Governor, Nasir El-Rufai, and allies of former Vice President Atiku Abubakar, as well as the opposition Social Democratic Party (SDP).
El-Rufai, a prominent figure within the APC, held a closed-door meeting last week with SDP leadership and key figures from Atiku’s camp, including Major Hamza Al-Mustapha, the former Chief Security Officer of General Sani Abacha, and Otunba Segun Showunmi, a former spokesman for Atiku.
While the details of the meeting were not disclosed, it has sparked speculations about a potential alignment aimed at challenging President Bola Tinubu in the 2027 elections.
The APC, however, has downplayed the significance of the meeting, stating that it is not worried about the apparent political romance between these figures. Showunmi later shared details of the meeting on his Facebook page, fueling further discussions on the growing opposition dynamics.
The APC’s response signals that it remains confident in its position and is not overly concerned by the maneuvering within the opposition ranks ahead of the 2027 election cycle.
Many have alluded that the political grandstanding has something to do with the League of Northern Democrats being championed by a former governor of Kano State, Ibrahim Shekarau, and some elite to woo southern bigwigs for an alliance ahead of the 2027 general elections.
The Convener of the LND, Dr Umar Ardo, had on January 5 declared the group’s readiness to transform into a political party, citing the need to create a unified and credible national political platform.
However, the National Chairman of the SDP, Shehu Gabam, has denied having an alliance with Atiku and El-Rufai as being speculated.
Gabam stated that the SDP’s main priority at the moment was to strengthen its structures and offer Nigerians credible alternatives.
Reacting to the development, the National Vice Chairman of the APC (South-East), Dr Ijeoma Arodiogbu, said the ruling party was not worried over the moves by the opposition figures.
He said, “As it is in the Bible, surely they shall gather and they shall scatter. We are not worried that they are gathering because they will definitely scatter. We are not worried about what El-Rufai does next. We know that his trajectory in politics is highly disturbed now.
“After our election (in 2023), he displayed himself as a man who cannot be trusted across the regions. The way he disparaged Christians in Nigeria, a secular society, has made him a leper. Nobody goes anywhere close to him. El-Rufai is just desperate for recognition now and I wonder why the media is giving him that attention.
“We are not worried about the unholy alliance because it will amount to nothing. It is just a gathering of disgruntled people trying to lick their wounds. Tinubu remains the president and there is nobody that can stop him in 2027.”
Continuing, Arodiogbu argued that the controversial reforms that the opposition may be planning to campaign with are currently yielding the desired results Nigerians anticipated.
The APC chieftain also said the people cannot afford to surrender the leadership to desperate politicians whose sole interest is state capture.
He said, “So we are not worried about El-Rufai and their union. When 2027 comes, what will they use to campaign to Nigerians? Will you tell them that you plan to reintroduce fuel subsidy? Not possible. We are already bouncing back to the days of glory. They have seen that the forest is stabilised, and the people are beginning to see a light at the end of the tunnel.
“People are now beginning to understand the essence of all the reforms he (President Bola Tinubu) has implemented. Did you read where they reported that PMS is likely to sell at N500 before the middle of this year? You can see that the benefits and gains of the policy reforms implemented by the President are beginning to yield fruit.
“That is because we have allowed the market forces to determine the price and taken off the pressure that fuel subsidy has on our economy and currency. We are now looking at exporting fuel outside Nigeria. That is a massive gain for Nigeria. I am telling you that we have hope for a very brighter tomorrow for Nigeria.”
However, the Deputy National Organising Secretary of the APC, Nze Chidi Duru, said that the party cannot currently do anything about the immediate past governor of Kaduna until he takes a position on his political future.
According to him, El-Rufai has a constitutional right to mingle and associate with anybody he likes.
He said, “We are in a democracy and a republic. Part of what is in our constitution is the liberty to hold views, express views and, of course, the liberty to associate. These are inalienable rights guaranteed in the Constitution of the Federal Republic of Nigeria. So, long as these meetings are done within the laws of the country, it is welcome.
“I’m not in any way disturbed by any of this speculation that is currently ongoing. Unless and until a decision has been made, we are not in any position to speculate. The government is not about speculation. It is about certainty and objectivity.
“But when it (defection) does happen, then the government and particularly the party will respond to it adequately and comprehensively. The party will continue to focus on its manifesto and then, of course, deliver the dividends of democracy to the people of this country.
“The reality today remains that those who belong to political parties are merely a fraction of the population and inclusive of the entire Nigeria. That is why once the election is done and dusted, the party now shifts to governance. It is that governance that the party will be rated on at the end of the day.”
