Former Kaduna State Governor Nasir El-Rufai is a stand-in for the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) and former presidential candidate Atiku Abubakar in the Social Democratic Party (SDP), according to Buba Galadima, a leader of the New Nigeria Peoples Party (NNPP).
During an interview with AIT, Galadima revealed the information.
Considering his prior criticism of the Vice President, he questioned why Atiku would consent to collaborate with El-Rufai.
Galadima emphasized that El-Rufai has little political significance and that the planned SDP coalition was only a show.
Galadima said: “Did El-Rufai win one local government in Kaduna in 2020? He was a sitting governor in Kaduna when PDP won all three senatorial elections.
“He was a sitting governor in Kaduna when the PDP won 12 out of 14 House of Reps seats, and they won only one, while the other one was won by the Labour Party. That is, as a sitting governor. Now that he’s out and even fighting the governor from outside, how many votes do you think he can win?”
“The SDP coalition is ineffective; their activities are merely noisemaking. El-Rufai is actually serving as a placeholder for former Vice President Atiku Abubakar within the SDP.”
“I am surprised at Atiku’s willingness to work with El-Rufai. El-Rufai had previously advised Atiku to save his money for his children and declared that Atiku would never become president in Nigeria.”
“The New Nigeria People’s Party (NNPP) would emerge as the larger vehicle to unite opposition parties in the 2027 presidential election.”
El-Rufai, Atiku, and a few other prominent politicians had declared the formation of a coalition under the SDP.
Adewale Adebayo, a former SDP presidential candidate, stated after the announcement that Atiku, Peter Obi, and other prominent politicians are in negotiations to join the party.
In 2027, Adebayo said, the coalition would overthrow President Bola Tinubu.
