El-Rufai, Al-Mustapha, and Atiku Allies Hold Secret Talks with SDP Leaders

Political heavyweights, including El-Rufai, Al-Mustapha, and Atiku’s allies, reportedly engage in behind-the-scenes discussions with Social Democratic Party (SDP) leaders as Nigeria’s 2027 elections draw closer.

On Tuesday, several notable opposition leaders gathered for a private meeting with officials from the Social Democratic Party (SDP) in Abuja.

The meeting’s agenda details have not been revealed at the time of this report, sparking speculation about potential alliances or strategic talks in anticipation of forthcoming political events.

The meeting was held early on Tuesday at the SDP’s national secretariat and featured attendees such as former Kaduna State Governor Nasir El-Rufai, Major Hamza Al-Mustapha (former Chief Security Officer to General Sani Abacha), Otunba Segun Showunmi, a one-time spokesman for Atiku Abubakar, along with others.

Showunmi announced the meeting confirmation on his Facebook page.

He wrote: “You must embark at dawn! A strategic meeting was convened by His Excellency Shehu Gabam, Chairman of the SDP, with His Excellency Nasir El-Rufai, Major Hamza Al-Mustapha, and Otunba Segun Showunmi. This gathering offered an opportunity to connect and assess the status of opposition democratic engagement in Nigeria.”

This development comes after El-Rufai denied reports claiming he had switched from the APC to the opposition Peoples Democratic Party.

Addressing the rumors on his verified X account, the former Kaduna governor encouraged Nigerians to ignore the erroneous reports, labeling them as “patent lies.” He also disclosed that he has directed his lawyers to pursue legal action against those disseminating this misinformation.

“Please ignore the blatant lies and rumors concerning my political affiliation. I have handed over those responsible for spreading this false information to my lawyers for further action,” El-Rufai posted on Sunday.

A close associate of the former governor, speaking on condition of anonymity, dismissed the claims as mischief-makers’ fabrications. They emphasized that El-Rufai, an influential member of the APC, would have publicly announced any decision to defect to the PDP.