El-Rufai: North needs to align with South South to rescue Nigeria

Former governor of Kaduna, Nasir el-Rufai, has called for alliance and coalition across political divides in the country ahead of the 2027 general elections.

He made the call during a condolence visit to the family of the late elder statesman and Niger Delta advocate, Edwin Clark.

According to the former governor, the call became necessary to “save” Nigeria which presently “needs a rescue operation”.

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His comment is coming in the wake of speculations that el-Rufai has been working to pitch his political tent elsewhere.

He said: “In the 60s, 70s and 80s, the traditional political partners of the north was the south-south. Let us not forget that. Let us go back to that. Let us save this country because it really requires saving. We need a rescue operation”.

El-Rufai, who was led to the condolence visit by Atiku Abubakar, said the former vice-president deserves credit for spearheading economic reforms during the Olusegun Obasanjo administration.

Segun Showunmi, a former spokesperson of the Atiku Abubakar campaign organisation, said the meeting was to strategise ahead of the 2027 elections.

Since he fell out with the APC and the President Bola Tinubu administration, el-Rufai has been meeting members of opposition parties in recent weeks.

In January, he met with Hamza Al-Mustapha, ex-aide to late Sani Abacha; Shehu Gabam, national chairman of the Social Democratic Party (PDP); and other politicians in the nation’s capital.