The ruling All Progressives Congress has said it is not losing sleep over the newfound political romance between ex-Kaduna State governor, Nasir El-Rufai, and the camp of former Vice President Atiku Abubakar, and the opposition Social Democratic Party.
Last week, El-Rufai, a prominent APC chieftain, held a closed-door meeting with the leadership of the SDP and some allies of Atiku, who was the 2023 presidential candidate of the Peoples Democratic Party.
Although the agenda was not made public, the political rendezvous was described as a continuation of the clandestine alignment among major opposition figures to oust President Bola Tinubu in 2027.
The meeting, which took place at the national secretariat of the SDP, also had Major Hamza Al-Mustapha, former Chief Security Officer of General Sani Abacha and a former spokesman of Atiku Abubakar, Otunba Segun Showunmi among others.
Showunmi broke the news of the political stakeholders meeting on his Facebook page.
Many have alluded that the political grandstanding has something to do with the League of Northern Democrats being championed by a former governor of Kano State, Ibrahim Shekarau, and some elite to woo southern bigwigs for an alliance ahead of the 2027 general elections.
The Convener of the LND, Dr Umar Ardo, had on January 5 declared the group’s readiness to transform into a political party, citing the need to create a unified and credible national political platform.
However, the National Chairman of the SDP, Shehu Gabam, has denied having an alliance with Atiku and El-Rufai as being speculated.
Gabam stated that the SDP’s main priority at the moment was to strengthen its structures and offer Nigerians credible alternatives.
Reacting to the development, the National Vice Chairman of the APC (South-East), Dr Ijeoma Arodiogbu, said the ruling party was not worried over the moves by the opposition figures.
