BASHIR El-Rufai, son of former Kaduna State Governor Nasir El-Rufai, has predicted that if Labour Party presidential candidate in the 2023 poll, Peter Obi, contests again with a strong running mate from the North, he could easily defeat President Bola Tinubu in 2027.
He stated this on his X handle on Thursday, July 31.
He wrote, “Atiku is a force to be reckoned with. He also feels the stars have finally aligned in his favour. And although 2019 is thought to have been his best shot, this may be one of those ‘moment meets the man’.
“However, the sheer force of Obi’s numbers and cult like follower-ship brings a challenge. His appeal across the youth & this younger generation is one profound aspect of his leverage. Obi, as a flag bearer with a strong Northern candidate, would defeat Pablo on election day before our dear mother of the nation — Aunty Remi finishes his breakfast around noon.”
Recall that as part of its strategies to dislodge the ruling All Progressives Congress (APC) in the 2027 elections, leading opposition figures, including former Vice President Atiku Abubakar, Obi, former Rivers State governor Rotimi Amaechi, and Nasir El-Rufai, respectively, launched a coalition in Abuja on March 20.
The younger El-Rufai, in his remarks on X, said that Obi posed a significant challenge for Abubakar, highlighting the former Anambra State governor’s strong appeal among the youth as a key factor behind his growing support base.
The ICIR reports that El-Rufai’s comments are coming ahead of the 2027 elections, with a major coalition involving Abubakar, Obi and Ameachi seeking to grab power through the African Democratic Congress (ADC).
While Abubakar recently quit the Peoples’ Democratic Party (PDP), Obi has yet to quit the Labour Party. However, the senior El-Rufai abandoned the APC for the Social Democratic Party (SDP). The party eventually banned him for 30 years for engaging in anti-party activities.
There are permutations that Abubakar will pick the ADC presidential ticket, which he has asked party leaders to throw open.
There are, however, fears in Obi’s camp that he might end up not picking the party’s ticket.
Obi has declared interest in running for the presidency in 2027 on the ADC platform and rule the nation for only four years, thereby completing the South’s eight-year presidency rotation, after Tinubu’s four years.
There are also strong indications that he would not accept being a running mate to Abubakar in the ADC, which could have fueled Bashir El-Rufai’s position.
Media reports have suggested that the PDP, which he quit preparatory to the 2023 poll, is seeking his return to enable him to pursue his ambition on the platform.
Obi was a running mate to Abubakar in 2019 on the PDP platform before the two leaders went their separate ways in 2023.
Had they parleyed in 2023 as they did in 2019, they could have defeated Tinubu, given that Tinubu polled 8,794,726 million votes, Abubakar got 6,984,520 million, and Obi garnered 6,10,533 votes in the election.
The ICIR reports that Obi is seeking the presidency for the second time. Should Abubakar contest, he will be doing so for the seventh time.
Nanji is an investigative journalist with the ICIR. She has years of experience in reporting and broadcasting human angle stories, gender inequalities, minority stories, and human rights issues. She has documented sexual war crimes in armed conflict, sex for grades in Nigerian Universities, harmful traditional practices and human trafficking.