Bashir el-Rufai U-turns, calls Peter Obi ‘great potential President or VP’

Bashir El-Rufai, son of former Kaduna State Governor Nasir El-Rufai, has publicly revised his opinion of Labour Party presidential candidate Peter Obi, now acknowledging him as “a great potential President or VP.”

Bashir, who was previously critical of the former Anambra State governor, attributed his earlier negative views to influences within his former party, the All Progressives Congress (APC).

In a statement posted on X, Bashir said, “Peter Obi is surprisingly not a bad person after all. My views on him have changed recently. My mind was poisoned by my former party members.”

This shift in perspective coincides with significant political developments involving his father, Nasir El-Rufai, who announced his resignation from the APC and subsequent move to the Social Democratic Party (SDP).

The former Kaduna governor cited a growing disconnect between his personal values and the current direction of the APC as the primary reason for his defection.

“Developments in the last two years confirm that those who currently control and run the APC do not desire to acknowledge, much less address, the party’s unhealthy situation,” Nasir El-Rufai stated in a press release.

He explained that after consulting with mentors, colleagues, and loyalists, he decided to join the SDP in preparation for the 2027 general elections.

As a member of the SDP, Nasir El-Rufai plans to focus on uniting opposition leaders and parties under a unified democratic platform to challenge the APC in the upcoming elections.

His departure from the APC follows recent criticisms of the party’s leadership, including their failure to convene key meetings of the National Executive Council (NEC) and Board of Trustees (BoT) throughout 2023.

El-Rufai’s political moves have also garnered attention following his recent meetings with former Minister of Interior Rauf Aregbesola and Pastor Tunde Bakare in Lagos, leading to speculation about his political ambitions for 2027. These developments signal a potential realignment of political forces in Nigeria as the country approaches the next election cycle.