- El-Rufai has been engaging with opposition leaders recently
Mallam Nasir El-Rufai, the former governor of Kaduna State, welcomed Senator Rabiu Musa Kwankwaso to his residence in Abuja on Thursday.
El-Rufai hosted the New Nigerian Peoples Party (NNPP) Presidential Candidate shortly after visiting former President Muhammadu Buhari in Daura, Katsina State.
Despite being a prominent member of the All Progressives Congress (APC), El-Rufai has been engaging with opposition leaders recently.
In March, he met with the national chairman of the Social Democratic Party (SDP) in Abuja, disregarding potential repercussions.
El-Rufai, who previously served as the Minister of the Federal Capital Territory (FCT), was close to securing a ministerial position in President Bola Tinubu’s administration but was ultimately not appointed.
The Senate did not approve his nomination due to alleged security clearance issues.
Afterward, El-Rufai traveled abroad and temporarily stepped back from politics. He returned to Nigeria and maintained a low profile until his visit to the SDP national secretariat, which sparked speculation.
Following El-Rufai’s visit to Buhari, former Senator Shehu Sani, who represented Kaduna Central in the 8th National Assembly, suggested that the visits by prominent northern politicians to Buhari could be part of a plan to challenge Tinubu in 2027.