El-Rufai meets Aregbesola, Bakare as ex-gov deepens consultation

Former governor of Kaduna State, Nasir El-Rufai, visited ex-Minister of Interior, Rauf Aregbesola, and Pastor Tunde Bakare, in Lagos on Sunday.

Photographs of the Kaduna politician posing with Aregbesola and Bakare went viral on social media.

While El-Rufai’s discussion with the two politicians was not revealed, it is believed that the visits were part of his political scheming ahead of the 2027 general elections.

El-Rufai has in recent times been very critical of the ruling All Progressives Congress and President Bola Tinubu.

The Kaduna politician blamed Tinubu for his rejection by the National Assembly during ministerial screening.

Aregbesola, a former ally of Tinubu, recently dumped the APC alongside his supporters in Osun State.

Bakare lost the APC presidential ticket to Tinubu ahead of the 2023 presidential poll and he has also been critical of the government of the day.

In recent times, El-Rufai, a chieftain of the ruling APC, has also been found hobnobbing with opposition politicians, including the 2023 Peoples Democratic Party presidential candidate, Atiku Abubakar.

His Sunday visit to Aregbesola and Bakare was disclosed by Muyiwa Adekeye, El-Rufai’s media adviser, in a tweet on Sunday.

“Malam Nasir @elrufai was in Lagos today to visit Ogbeni @raufaregbesola and Pastor Tunde Bakare,” Adekeye wrote.

El-Rufai’s meeting with both men is coming days after visiting former President Muhammadu Buhari in Kaduna.

The former Kaduna governor’s visit to Lagos has fuelled fresh conversations about his political future and possible strategic alliances ahead of the 2027 elections.

The former minister of the Federal Capital Territory was recently in the news when he granted an interview on Arise Television, where he accused Tinubu of deliberately dropping him from his list of ministerial nominees.