As part of ongoing political realignments, former New Nigeria Peoples Party (NNPP) presidential candidate Rabiu Musa Kwankwaso met with Nasir El-Rufai, the immediate past governor of Kaduna State, on Thursday in Abuja.
Kwankwaso visited El-Rufai at his residence, with photos and a short video of their interaction appearing on social media platform X, showing them exchanging pleasantries.
The meeting has sparked reactions from various political quarters, including the All Progressive Congress (APC) and the Arewa Youth Consultative Forum (AYCF).
In a conversation with Leadership, APC and AYCF officials provided their perspectives on the significance of the meeting.
Confirming the visit, Kwankwaso posted on X, “Pleased to pay a cordial visit to my former colleague, H.E Nasir El-Rufai, at his residence in Abuja today.”
While details of their conversation remain private, sources close to the duo indicated that the meeting was part of efforts to rebuild old ties and possibly form alliances ahead of the 2027 general election.
An anonymous APC chieftain described the meeting as “nothing short of a meeting of aggrieved persons, seeking to regain relevance.”
This marks the first public meeting between El-Rufai, a key campaign figure for President Bola Tinubu in 2023, and Kwankwaso, who finished fourth in the same election.
Despite El-Rufai’s continued association with the APC, he has had a falling out with the party’s establishment following the Senate’s rejection of his ministerial appointment.
El-Rufai and Kwankwaso are both engaged in political battles within their respective states. In Kano, the ongoing dispute over the Emir seat and the prosecution of former governor Abdullahi Ganduje has heightened tensions between Kwankwaso, leader of the NNPP-led Kano government, and Ganduje, the APC national chairman.
In Kaduna, El-Rufai faces a rift with his successor, Governor Uba Sani, culminating in an indictment by the Kaduna State House of Assembly over alleged misappropriation of ₦432 billion, a charge he is contesting in court.
El-Rufai has recently made several high-profile political visits. He met with former President Muhammadu Buhari in Daura, Katsina State, and paid courtesy visits to the Emir of Daura, Alhaji Umar Faruk Umar, the Emir of Katsina, Alhaji Abdulmumini Kabir Usman, and Lawal Sani Sade, MD of Duke Oil. He also visited Governor Dikko Umar Radda at the Katsina Government House.
These visits came shortly after former Vice President and 2023 PDP presidential candidate Atiku Abubakar’s meeting with Buhari in Daura. Atiku has also recently met with former military leaders Gen Ibrahim Babangida and Gen Abdulsalami Abubakar.
Earlier this year, El-Rufai held meetings with the leadership of the Social Democratic Party (SDP), fueling speculation about a possible departure from the APC. Former Senator Shehu Sani suggested that the visits by Atiku and El-Rufai to Buhari might be part of a strategy to unseat President Tinubu in 2027.
Reacting to the Thursday meeting between Kwankwaso and El-Rufai, AYCF President General Yerima Shettima commented, “El-Rufai has the fundamental right to relate and visit whoever he chooses. However, these visits by opposition party members certainly have political undertones.
“Recall that El-Rufai also visited the Social Democratic Party (SDP) sometime ago.
“The recent visits to former President Muhammadu Buhari and now to NNPP’s 2023 presidential candidate, Senator Rabiu Musa Kwankwaso, certainly have political motives aimed at possibly unseating the incumbent president. Whether such visits will yield political results, only time will tell.”
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