Embittered former Governor Nasir El-Rufai says he and other opposition figures held a nocturnal meeting on how to oust President Bola Tinubu from office in the 2027 presidential election.

Mr El-Rufai, formerly of the All Progressives Congress and a one-time ally of Mr Tinubu, recently defected to the Social Democratic Party.

He said his main goal was to ensure the incumbent did not win his reelection bid come 2027.

Mr El-Rufai stated this at the Arewa TechFest in Katsina on Wednesday.

“Yesterday at 8:00 p.m., there was a very important meeting of the coalition we’re putting together to ensure that President Tinubu goes back to Lagos,” Mr El-Rufai said.

The former Kaduna governor added, “Though we will still keep Bosun Tijani. We will still keep the minister because he is doing good work.”

In March, when he defected to the SDP, Mr El-Rufai vowed to lead a coalition to challenge Mr Tinubu in the 2027 election.

The former Kaduna governor fell out with Mr Tinubu when he did not get a ministerial nod.

The Peoples Democratic Party, PDP, has in strong terms rejected comments made by former Secretary to the Government of the Federation, Babachir Lawal.


It dismissed his critique of the party as ‘misguided, politically bitter, and irrelevant.’

The PDP stated that it neither seeks nor requires Lawal’s validation to shape its future or Nigeria’s political direction.


This came on Wednesday in Abuja, where the Acting National Chairman, Umar Damagum, through his Special Assistant on Media and Communications, Yusuf Dingyadi, addressed Lawal’s remarks.

Recall that during an appearance on Arise Television’s ‘The Morning Show’, Lawal had described the PDP as having an ‘incurable virus’ and declared it a no-go area for any opposition coalition ahead of the 2027 general elections.

In a rebuttal, the PDP said, “While Mr. Lawal is entitled to his personal opinions, we wish to make it categorically clear that the PDP does not seek, nor is it begging, for his support or validation in shaping the future of our party or the political direction of this country.”


The opposition party stressed its status as Nigeria’s most experienced, nationally rooted and enduring political party, capable of weathering storms and rescuing the country from the failings of the current administration.

The party equally questioned Lawal’s political relevance, noting that his tenure in public office is remembered more for controversies than for impactful contributions.

“The same cannot be said of Mr. Babachir Lawal, whose tenure in public office is remembered more for controversies than for impact.


“Rather than being an asset, his political antecedents portray him more as a liability to any serious political project,” Damagum said.

The PDP reaffirmed its focus on rebuilding, reuniting and repositioning itself for victory in 2027, emphasizing its openness to constructive alliances based on shared values and institutional integrity.

It dismissed Lawal’s comments as a desperate attempt to remain relevant in national discourse and urged its members, supporters, and the general public to ignore them.


The party reiterated its commitment to restoring hope, rebuilding the nation, and reclaiming leadership for the benefit of all Nigerians.

Veteran journalist, Jimi Disu has cautioned former Labour Party presidential candidate, Peter Obi, against accepting a vice presidential slot from his counterpart in the Peoples Democratic Party, Atiku Abubakar.

Disu said the Vice President is a spare tyre with no statutory powers in Nigeria’s constitution.

He was reacting to reports that Obi agreed to the Vice President slot with Atiku in ongoing coalition discussions.


Obi had denied such reports, saying he is part of the coalition to fight bad governance, poverty and other challenges faced by Nigerians.

However, speaking on Nigerian Info FM 99.3, Disu said: “What is being said is that Peter Obi is being offered the Vice presidential slot because of Atiku from the North.

“It’s all nice for Atiku but one thing I will tell Peter Obi is that a Vice President is a spare tyre and you are dealing with a seasoned politician.

“It’s left to you to know if you can trust this man not to throw you to the dustbin by the time he becomes the president.

“If I were Obi, I would not risk it because it doesn’t make sense because the constitution does not provide anything for you statutorily.

“You could be made Vice President and jolly well be worse than the man who made fun of the one who said the other was an ice cream seller.

“We have a Vice President that said he would handle defence and his president will handle other things.”