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.

Former Nigerian President Goodluck Jonathan has reflected on a time when Nigeria boasted a vibrant National Assembly, capable of overriding presidential vetoes on important bills.

Jonathan made these remarks on Wednesday evening at the Champions of Nigerian Content Awards Dinner, organised by the Nigerian Content Development and Monitoring Board in Yenagoa, Bayelsa State.

Honoured with the Nigerian Content Lifetime Achievement Award, Jonathan recalled his eagerness to sign the Nigerian Oil and Gas Industry Content Bill into law. He noted that the bill, sponsored by Senator Lee Maeba of Rivers State and others, was a product of a truly dynamic legislature.

“When I was acting President in 2010, and the National Assembly presented the bill, I promptly signed it and we quickly established a monitoring body. Someone like Lee Maeba, the bill’s originator, and his group also deserve recognition. That was a period when the National Assembly truly lived up to its name,” Jonathan said.

He further highlighted the Assembly’s assertiveness, recalling how it passed the Niger Delta Development Commission bill into law despite President Obasanjo’s reluctance to sign it.

“In 2000, the NDDC bill was also vetoed by the National Assembly. They overrode President Obasanjo’s refusal. Typically, in other countries, it is the President who vetoes bills.

“But in Nigeria, during the law-making process, it is the National Assembly that can exercise the veto. If the President does not assent to a bill within 30 days, the National Assembly can reconvene and, with a two-thirds majority calculated by headcount, not voice vote—enact the bill into law.


“That is how the NDDC Act came into being, thanks to a truly vibrant National Assembly.

“I would like to use this opportunity to commend Lee Maeba and his team,” Jonathan concluded