Kaduna, April 11, 2025 — In a move that has sent ripples through Nigeria’s political landscape, former Vice President and Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) presidential candidate, Atiku Abubakar, met with ex-President Muhammadu Buhari on Friday, accompanied by former Kaduna State Governor Nasir El-Rufai and ex-Sokoto Governor Aminu Tambuwal.
The meeting, which took place at Buhari’s residence in Kaduna, was disclosed by Imran Wakili, a close associate of El-Rufai, in a post on X (formerly Twitter).
“Mallam Nasir El-Rufai, together with Alhaji Atiku Abubakar, Aminu Tambuwal, and other dignitaries, visited former President Muhammadu Buhari at his Kaduna residence,” Wakili wrote, adding that El-Rufai’s loyalty to Buhari remains “priceless.”
Though details of the discussions remain under wraps, the timing of the visit has fueled speculation amid growing momentum behind a broad-based opposition alliance aimed at unseating President Bola Ahmed Tinubu and the All Progressives Congress (APC) in the 2027 general elections.
A Coalition to ‘Retire’ Tinubu
Atiku’s visit to Kaduna follows his recent unveiling of a proposed opposition coalition comprising himself, Labour Party’s Peter Obi, El-Rufai, and other political stakeholders. The announcement came during a press conference by a new political platform: the Concerned Leaders and Political Stakeholders in Nigeria (CLPSN).
According to Atiku, the alliance is being forged not only to defeat Tinubu at the polls but to, in his words, “reset Nigeria’s democracy and reclaim its institutions from executive overreach and electoral manipulation.”
SDP in the Picture
Amid the buzz, Adewale Adebayo, the 2023 presidential candidate of the Social Democratic Party (SDP), revealed that both Atiku and Obi are in talks to possibly join the SDP. He claimed that the party is ready to provide a neutral, issue-focused platform for all opposition figures.
“If Atiku, Obi and others are serious and are ready to adopt the culture of discipline and development we preach in the SDP, we can defeat Tinubu and retire the APC,” Adebayo said.
Adding to the intrigue, Buba Galadima, a chieftain of the New Nigeria Peoples Party (NNPP), stated that El-Rufai is being positioned as Atiku’s placeholder in the SDP in case the PDP denies him its 2027 ticket.
El-Rufai’s Role: Swinging Between Camps?
El-Rufai’s recent political movements have raised eyebrows. Once a key figure in Tinubu’s APC, he has maintained a curious silence since leaving office, even as his aides spar with current administration figures.
His appearance alongside Atiku and Tambuwal, and his simultaneous outreach to Buhari—his long-time political patron—suggests he may be hedging his bets or playing a pivotal role as a bridge between disaffected APC elements and the broader opposition.
What Buhari Thinks
The former president has kept a low profile since exiting office in 2023. While Friday’s meeting was billed as a private visit, political analysts believe Buhari’s blessing, or at least his tacit neutrality, could shape the 2027 equation. Buhari’s enduring popularity in Northern Nigeria still makes him a formidable influencer, particularly among the conservative base.
A New Realignment in the Making
The meeting and the coalition talks mark the clearest sign yet that Nigeria’s opposition is coalescing around a shared objective: ending Tinubu’s presidency after one term.
But much remains uncertain—will the PDP allow Atiku another run? Will Obi truly merge forces with the man he ran against in 2023? And can El-Rufai reconcile his past loyalties with a future in opposition?
With two years until the next general election, Nigeria’s political chessboard is already brimming with bold moves, unlikely alliances, and unpredictable endgames.
