By our reporter
Towards the 2027 general elections, New Nigeria Peoples Party (NNPP) stalwart, Buba Galadima, has revealed alleged plans to make immediate past governor of Kaduna State, Malam Nasir El-Rufai, the Social Democratic Party (SDP) placeholder for Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) presidential flagbearer in the 2023 elections, Atiku Abubakar, should the latter miss out on the PDP ticket.
Galadima, a respected Northern elder, also wondered why Abubakar, popularly known as Atiku, would consent to team up with El-Rufai, whom, he claimed, dished out all sorts of derogatory statements against the former Vice President during the President Muhammadu Buhari era, which coincided with El-Rufai’s governorship.
The NNPP chieftain further picked holes in El-Rufai’s claims to popularity,saying even as sitting governor, most of his state’s federal lawmakers were from opposition parties.
He disclosed these during an interview with Africa Independent Television (AIT).
Thumbing down the emerging political mega coalition against President Bola Tinubu, Galadima described it as ineffective and a mere exercise in noisemaking.
“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 Peoples Party (NNPP) would emerge as the larger vehicle to unite opposition parties in the 2027 presidential election,” Galadima said.
El-Rufai, Atiku and some political heavyweights have revealed the emergence of a coalition under the SDP, to try to oust President Tinubu in 2027.
SDP’s presidential candidate in the 2023 poll, Adewale Adebayo, had also confirmed that the former Vice President, Labour Party (LP) presidential candidate in 2023, Peter Obi, and others were discussing on how to team up with SDP, according to him, with the objective of taking over power from President Tinubu.
