- Nasir El-Rufai, former governor of Kaduna state, recently resigned his membership of the All Progressives Congress (APC) and has joined the Social Democratic Party (SDP)
- Legit.ng reports that El-Rufai may have emerged as the disrupter-in-chief in the plot to stop the second term of President Bola Ahmed Tinubu in the 2027 election
- A source within the opposition has disclosed that El-Rufai is not primarily interested in becoming president, but is focused on ‘sending Tinubu and his people back to Lagos’
Legit.ng journalist Ridwan Adeola Yusuf has over 9 years of experience covering politics, elections, and governance in Nigeria.
Kaduna, Kaduna state – A source in the opposition privy to the ongoing developments confirmed that Nasir El-Rufai, former governor of Kaduna state, is not contesting any elective position in the 2027 election.
As reported by Vanguard on Sunday, March 16, the source said El-Rufai is only focused on mobilising against President Bola Tinubu’s second term agenda.
Photo credits: Kola Sulaimon, Asiwaju Bola Ahmed Tinubu
Source: UGC
Recall that on March 10, El-Rufai left the All Progressives Congress (APC) for the Social Democratic Party (SDP) over what he described as a divergence in values with the ruling party.
Following his resignation, El-Rufai urged his supporters to join the SDP and called on other opposition leaders to unite in challenging the APC in future elections
One prominent associate of former Vice President Atiku Abubakar who contested the 2023 presidential election but lost to Tinubu, and now relating with El-Rufai divulged:
“What he is interested in is sending Tinubu and his people back to Lagos.”
Remarkably, El-Rufai, who worked against Peter Obi in the 2023 election, is reportedly open to aligning with the former Anambra state governor.
This, Legit.ng understands, is in realisation that the leader of the Obidient movement and the Labour Party (LP) chieftain, would be on the 2027 ticket one way or the other.
El-Rufai joins TikTok
Meanwhile, El-Rufai launched a personal account on TikTok days after resigning from the APC and joining the SDP.
In a recent video announcement, El-Rufai stated that he created the TikTok page to engage with Nigerians on political matters and the activities of his new party. He invited users to interact with him through videos and discussions.
El-Rufai’s entry into TikTok has gained rapid traction. His announcement video has also recorded 1.9 million views and more than 34,000 user engagements.
Further checks by Legit.ng show that the former federal capital territory (FCT) minister currently has over 223,000, with more than 259,000 profile likes as of press time.
In his TikTok bio, the former governor described himself as an “accidental public servant, certified ruffler of feathers, and deliberate SDP member.”
Photo credit: Nasir El-Rufai
Source: Facebook
His presence on the platform marks a rare move among Nigerian politicians, many of whom have yet to embrace video-sharing social media for direct engagement.
With his new TikTok presence, El-Rufai appears to be tapping into the power of digital engagement as he navigates his next political chapter.
‘Buhari fully aware of my defection to SDP’ – El-Rufai
Earlier, Legit.ng reported that El-Rufai disclosed that his exit from the ruling APC was done with the full knowledge and consent of former President Muhammadu Buhari.
El-Rufai noted that he consulted Buhari before making the move, adding that he frequently sought the former president’s advice on political matters.
El-Rufai recalled instances from his tenure as governor when he sought Buhari’s approval on key appointments, including submitting his commissioner nominees for review.
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Source: Legit.ng
