El-Rufai’s Defection Sparks Political Firestorm as APC Blasts ‘Delusional’ Opposition Plot Against Tinubu

A fresh political storm is brewing as former Kaduna State Governor, Nasir El-Rufai, and ex-Vice President Atiku Abubakar come under heavy fire from the All Progressives Congress (APC) and its allies for spearheading a coalition aimed at unseating President Bola Tinubu in 2027.

El-Rufai, who recently dumped the APC for the Social Democratic Party (SDP), is rallying opposition heavyweights—including Atiku, Labour Party’s Peter Obi, ex-Rivers governor Rotimi Amaechi, and former minister Rauf Aregbesola—to join forces in a bid to upend Tinubu’s administration.

Amid growing speculation of backdoor alliances, Atiku has intensified efforts to unify opposition parties, while Obi and PDP Governors’ Forum Chairman, Governor Bala Mohammed, have also pledged to work together for regime change in 2027.

Sources claim that prominent APC and PDP figures—including ex-APC National Chairman Abdullahi Adamu, former Attorney General Abubakar Malami, ex-Senate President Ahmed Lawan, and others—are secretly aligning with the anti-Tinubu movement.

However, the APC has dismissed the coalition as a desperate and vengeful ploy driven by El-Rufai’s bruised ego over his failure to secure a ministerial role in Tinubu’s cabinet.

APC National Publicity Secretary Felix Morka lambasted El-Rufai’s defection as an act of “delusion and self-interest,” accusing him of disguising personal grievances as ideological purity.

“Nigerians are not fools. El-Rufai is merely nursing a wounded ego, having failed to secure a ministerial slot. His so-called principled exit is nothing but a smokescreen,” Morka stated.

Meanwhile, Lagos APC Chairman Cornelius Ojelabi dismissed the opposition’s efforts, asserting that Tinubu remains “unstoppable” as he continues to drive “bold and transformative policies” for Nigeria’s growth.

As political realignments intensify, the battle for 2027 is already shaping up to be a fierce showdown between entrenched power blocs and an emboldened opposition.