According to the ruling All Progressives Congress, the opposition Social Democratic Party, former Vice President Atiku Abubakar’s camp, and former Kaduna State Governor Nasir El-Rufai’s newfound political romance are not causing them any sleep.
The political stakeholders’ meeting was announced by Showunmi on his Facebook page.
Many have hinted that the political bluster is related to the League of Northern Democrats, which was promoted by Ibrahim Shekarau, a former Kano State governor, and certain elites in an attempt to win over southern leaders to create an alliance before the general elections in 2027.
Citing the necessity of developing a cohesive and respectable national political platform, LND Convener Dr. Umar Ardo announced on January 5 that the organization was prepared to become a political party.
SDP National Chairman Shehu Gabam, however, has refuted rumors that he has a partnership with Atiku and El-Rufai.
According to Gabam, strengthening the SDP’s organizational framework and providing Nigerians with viable choices are currently its top priorities.
In response, APC (South-East) National Vice Chairman Dr. Ijeoma Arodiogbu stated that the ruling party was unconcerned with the actions of the opposition leaders.
“As the Bible says, they will undoubtedly gather and then disperse,” he added. The fact that they are congregating does not concern us because they will undoubtedly disperse. El-Rufai’s next move doesn’t concern us. We are aware that his political trajectory is currently very shattered.
Since our election in 2023, he has shown himself to be an untrustworthy individual throughout the regions. He is a leper because of the manner he denigrated Christians in Nigeria, a country with a secular culture. There is no one who approaches him. These days, El-Rufai is merely desperate for attention, and I question why the media is focusing so much on him.
“The unholy union won’t matter, so we are not concerned about it. A group of irate individuals attempting to lick their wounds is all that is happening. In 2027, no one can overthrow Tinubu, who is still the president.
Still, Arodiogbu maintained that the contentious reforms that the opposition might be preparing to run on are already producing the expected outcomes for Nigerians.
“The people cannot afford to cede the leadership to desperate politicians whose only interest is state capture,” the APC chairman added.
Therefore, El-Rufai and their alliance are not a concern for us,” he stated. How are they going to reach Nigerians with their campaign when 2027 arrives? Will you inform them of your intention to reinstate fuel subsidies? No way. We have already begun to recover from our heyday. People are starting to see the end of the tunnel, and they have observed that the woodland has stabilized.
The substance of all the reforms that President Bola Tinubu has put in place is now starting to be understood by the public. Have you read the article stating that PMS is probably going to sell for N500 before the year is out? The advantages and successes of the policy changes the President has put in place are starting to show.
The reason for this is that we have removed the pressure that fuel subsidies have on our economy and currency by letting the market determine prices. Our current focus is on fuel exporting outside of Nigeria. It is a huge win for Nigeria. I’m telling you that we believe Nigeria will have a far better future.
However, unless the immediate former governor of Kaduna takes a stand on his political future, the APC’s Deputy National Organising Secretary, Nze Chidi Duru, stated that the party is unable to take any action at this time.
He asserts El-Rufai’s fundamental right to associate and socialize with whoever he chooses.
We live in a republic and a democracy,” he stated. The freedom to hold and express opinions, as well as the freedom to associate, are features of our constitution. According to the Federal Republic of Nigeria’s Constitution, these are unalienable rights. Therefore, it is acceptable as long as these gatherings are conducted in accordance with national legislation.
“I am not at all troubled by the rumors that are circulating at the moment. We are not in a position to guess until and unless a decision is reached. Speculation has no place in the administration. It’s all about objectivity and assurance.
However, when the defection occurs, the government—and the party in particular—will react to it in a thorough and appropriate manner. In addition to delivering the benefits of democracy to the citizens of this nation, the party will continue to concentrate on its manifesto.
The fact that members of political parties only make up a small portion of the population, including those in Nigeria as a whole, is still the reality today. For this reason, after the election is completed, the party turns to government. The party will ultimately be evaluated based on that governance.
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The leadership of the SDP and some of Atiku’s supporters, the Peoples Democratic Party’s 2023 presidential contender, met behind closed doors last week with El-Rufai, a well-known APC leader.
Despite the lack of a public objective, the political gathering was characterized as an extension of the covert cooperation amongst key opposition leaders to overthrow President Bola Tinubu in 2027.
Other attendees at the meeting, held in the SDP national secretariat, included former Atiku Abubakar spokesman Otunba Segun Showunmi, Major Hamza Al-Mustapha, and General Sani Abacha’s former chief security officer.
