The All Progressives Congress (APC) has expressed that it is not concerned about the recent political developments involving former Kaduna State Governor Nasir El-Rufai and his apparent rapprochement with former Vice President Atiku Abubakar’s camp and the opposition Social Democratic Party (SDP).
Last week, El-Rufai, a key figure in the APC, held a private meeting with the leadership of the SDP and allies of Atiku, the 2023 presidential candidate of the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP). While the meeting’s agenda was not disclosed, it was widely viewed as part of ongoing behind-the-scenes efforts by opposition leaders to challenge President Bola Tinubu in the 2027 elections.
The meeting, which took place at the SDP’s national secretariat, also involved Major Hamza Al-Mustapha, former Chief Security Officer to General Sani Abacha, and Otunba Segun Showunmi, a former spokesperson for Atiku. Showunmi was the first to announce the gathering on his Facebook page.
Speculation has suggested that these political maneuvers are linked to the League of Northern Democrats (LND), a group led by former Kano State Governor Ibrahim Shekarau, which aims to form alliances with southern political figures ahead of the 2027 general elections. Dr. Umar Ardo, convener of the LND, declared on January 5 that the group is preparing to transition into a political party to create a unified and credible national political platform.
However, Shehu Gabam, the National Chairman of the SDP, has denied reports of any alliance with Atiku or El-Rufai, emphasizing that the party’s current focus is on strengthening its internal structures and providing Nigerians with credible alternatives.
Responding to the developments, Dr. Ijeoma Arodiogbu, the National Vice Chairman of the APC (South-East), stated that the ruling party is not concerned about the opposition figures’ activities.
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.”
