As Nigeria inches closer to the 2027 presidential election, political forces appear to be aligning against President Bola Tinubu’s re-election bid, confirming reports of an emerging opposition coalition.
Leading the charge is former Kaduna State Governor, Nasir El-Rufai, whose recent defection from the ruling All Progressives Congress (APC) to the Social Democratic Party (SDP) has added fuel to speculations of a well-orchestrated plan to weaken Tinubu’s hold on power.
El-Rufai’s move, sources who spoke with Saturday Sun say, is part of a broader strategy to mobilize aggrieved APC elements into a formidable opposition bloc, with the SDP serving as the rallying platform.
Investigations have revealed that El-Rufai has initiated talks with key political figures, including former Osun State Governor, Rauf Aregbesola, ex-APC National Chairmen, Abdullahi Adamu and John Odigie-Oyegun.
Though Adamu and Oyegun were never members of the defunct Congress for Progressive Change (CPC), sources indicate that plans are underway for CPC loyalists still in the APC to defect en masse to the SDP.
It remains unclear if former President Muhammadu Buhari, who led the CPC into the APC merger ahead of the 2015 elections, has endorsed the move.
However, a highly placed source within the opposition suggested that Buhari may be subtly backing the strategy aimed at reducing APC’s electoral dominance in the North.
“This is exactly how Jonathan was removed in 2015. The first moves were made in 2012, three years before the election. What is happening now is following a similar script,” the source said.
Despite his high-profile defection, El-Rufai’s ability to emerge as the key opposition figure in the North remains a subject of debate among political analysts.
A top northern politician, while expressing skepticism, admitted that Nigerians are often swayed by vocal critics of the government, especially those who play the victim card effectively.
“You know how Nigerians are—we are quick to support anyone who speaks against the government. El-Rufai is playing the victim very well. But if Tinubu’s handlers are serious, they can checkmate him easily, even in the North,” the source stated.
