On Tuesday, a significant strategic meeting was held by key political figures, including the former Governor of Kaduna State, Nasir El-Rufai, the ex-Chief Security Officer to the late General Sani Abacha, Hamza Al Mustapha, the Chairman of the Social Democratic Party (SDP), Shehu Gabam, and a prominent member of the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP), Segun Sowunmi. The quartet gathered to review and assess the current state of opposition democratic engagement in Nigeria, with a focus on strengthening their political influence.
Segun Sowunmi, one of the attendees, took to social media platform X to share an update on the meeting, stating: “You must set forth at Dawn, a strategic meeting called by HE Shehu Gabam, Chairman of SDP, with HE @elrufai, El-Rufai, Major Hamza Al-Mustapha, Otunba Segun Sowunmi. The alternative, to meet and greet and review the state of opposition democratic engagement in Nigeria.” This statement indicated that the purpose of the meeting was not just a casual gathering but a concerted effort to evaluate and plan for the future of opposition politics in the country.
This meeting follows closely on the heels of a recent rumour that Nasir El-Rufai was considering leaving the All Progressives Congress (APC) to join the PDP. The rumours had sparked widespread speculation, with many political observers suggesting that El-Rufai might defect to the opposition party. However, El-Rufai was quick to dismiss these rumours, calling them “patent lies” and categorically denying any intention to switch allegiance. He responded to the rumours on social media by stating, “Please disregard the patent lies and rumours about my political affiliation. I have referred the leading peddlers of the fake news for further action by my lawyers.”
The rumour that El-Rufai might leave the APC is not new. In 2022, Daniel Bwala, a spokesperson for the presidential office, had also claimed that El-Rufai was poised to defect to the PDP before the 2023 general election. El-Rufai had strongly rejected this claim as well, humorously responding on X: “Thanks @BwalaDaniel but no, thanks. Never ever, not even my corpse will be found in the vicinity of your newfound political party. I still dey laugh.”
The latest meeting, therefore, comes at a time when speculation about political affiliations and party loyalty in Nigeria remains high. The gathering of El-Rufai, Al-Mustapha, Gabam, and Sowunmi signals a potential shift in opposition strategy, with the quartet working to map out their next steps in Nigeria’s complex political landscape.
