President Bola Tinubu has been persuaded by former Communications Minister Adebayo Shittu to create a new coalition with Nasir El-Rufai, the former governor of Kaduna State.
El-Rufai, a close ally of Tinubu, left the ruling All Progressives Congress (APC) in March 2025 to join the Social Democratic Party (SDP), according to Naija News.
El-Rufai stated that his choice was primarily motivated by a growing discrepancy between his own ideals and the APC’s current course, while the presidency asserted that the former governor is upset about not being appointed as a minister.
Nonetheless, there have been hints that the Northern region intends to surprise President Tinubu and treat him like “Goodluck Jonathan” in 2027.
Speaking about the political climate, Shittu claimed in an interview with Punch that no Northern politician did much to help Tinubu gain power because El-Rufai should be treated fairly for backing the president.
He said, “Well, I am convinced that to the North in general, President Tinubu has been sufficiently equitable, but one thing that I believe is happening with regards to El-Rufai is that I keep remembering the pivotal role he played in getting the North to support a Tinubu’s presidency. I mean, there’s no running away from that fact. We know also that Tinubu really courted his support with promises that he would be brought into governance.
“So, when we see what has happened, naturally as a human being, El-Rufai will be disappointed. For me as an individual, and I’m speaking the truth in accordance with my conscience, I don’t see any northern politician who did much more for Tinubu’s emergence as El-Rufai. I don’t see it, and I’m being fair because being a very courageous person, when other people were not sure of supporting Tinubu, he came out boldly agitating and mobilising.
“You also recall that at a stage, he took the Buhari government to court when they were playing pranks about money redesign and all of that. So, I think that President Tinubu should try and forge a new alliance with him. It is very important, and it is only fair. To whom much is given, much more is expected. I think he should be rehabilitated and brought in. It is better to make more friends than allow your friends to become enemies.”
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