Former Governor of Kaduna State, Nasir El-Rufai, has ruled out the possibility of a future political merger and instead called on key opposition figures—including former Vice President Atiku Abubakar and ex-Labour Party presidential candidate Peter Obi—to join the Social Democratic Party (SDP).
El-Rufai made this appeal following his resignation from the All Progressives Congress (APC) on March 10, citing a misalignment of principles with the ruling party.
Speaking in an interview with BBC Hausa, he encouraged opposition leaders to unite under the SDP banner to challenge President Bola Tinubu in the 2027 elections.
Meanwhile, the Presidency has downplayed concerns about the next election, insisting that President Tinubu is currently focused on improving Nigeria’s economic landscape rather than electoral politics.
A statement shared on Friday by Tinubu’s Special Adviser on Media and Public Communications, Bayo Onanuga, emphasized the administration’s priorities:
“President Tinubu is not worried about the next election. He’s worried about the shared prosperity that he can bring to Nigerians.
“He’s worried about how the reforms he has put in place will yield necessary impact. He is concerned about what happens to the economy of this country eventually. That’s the focus.
“We’ve seen our foreign reserves go up. We’ve seen inflation come down. We’ve seen our trade surplus go up.
“We’ve seen exports go up and imports drop.
“We’ve seen the investments that have been attracted—over 50 billion. We are seeing prices dropping.
“We have clear data and you have a President that is clearly in the driver’s seat, and he has stayed the course of the decisions he has taken.
“And I think that the next election is not really in his view right now. It’s how to make sure that at the end of his first term, he can sit back and say, ‘Look, I have impacted the lives of Nigerians. I have turned this economy around.’”
Despite this stance, El-Rufai remains focused on opposition unity and has urged figures like Obi, Atiku, and former Minister Rauf Aregbesola to align with the SDP rather than pursue a new party or a merger.
“My wishes and prayers are Atiku Abubakar, Peter Obi, Rotimi Amaechi, Rauf, all opposition leaders to come and join SDP, not to do a merger or to register a new political party,” he stated.
Expressing his disappointment with the APC-led administration, he explained his initial belief in Tinubu’s leadership:
“What pains me is that the government we supported and had confidence in would do well because we saw what Tinubu did in Lagos despite his challenges.
“We all know about his issues in Chicago, but we thought if he could replicate his work in Lagos for Nigeria, let’s support him. However, he failed.”
El-Rufai also addressed speculation about his potential presidential ambition in 2027, stating that his candidacy would ultimately be determined by the party and public demand.
“It is not for me to decide; it is the party and the people that will decide. Even when I was contesting for governor, it was people that met and convinced (Muhammadu) Buhari, and he called me and asked me to contest,” he remarked.
