2027: Tinubu should bring back El-Rufai now, says Nataro

By : Leo Sobechi

Date: 9 January 2026 5:42pm WAT

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Bola Tinubu and Mallam Nasir Ahmad El-Rufai

Bola Tinubu and Mallam Nasir Ahmad El-Rufai

A former governorship candidate of the All Progressives Congress (APC) in Kebbi State, Mallam Salihu Isa Nataro, has called on President Bola Ahmed Tinubu to urgently persuade former Kaduna State governor, Mallam Nasir el-Rufai, to return to the APC fold and align with his administration.

Nataro said the ongoing realignment of political forces in the North makes it imperative for President Tinubu to pay close attention to the North-West zone, noting that following the removal of Dr Abdullahi Umar Ganduje as APC national chairman, the zone no longer has a strong political ally for the President.

He argued that speculation about former Kano State Governor Rabiu Musa Kwankwaso possibly joining a coalition under the African Democratic Congress (ADC) should concern Tinubu’s supporters.

According to him, even if incumbent Kano State Governor, Abba Yusuf, defects to the APC, a significant vacuum for zonal political influence would remain.

While blaming envy and political detractors for the estrangement between el-Rufai and the Tinubu camp, Nataro, who is also a public sector reform advocate, said the only major error in el-Rufai’s public service record was the use of foreign loans to finance urban beautification projects in Kaduna State.

“The narrative should have been different if el-Rufai had invested that huge loan amount to reform education and agriculture or establish cottage industries in the state.

“But, overall, that little mistake does not detract from his excellent performance as Minister of the Federal Capital Territory (FCT) during President Olusegun Obasanjo’s administration.

“There is much work to be done in the North-West geopolitical zone to properly market my boss, Tinubu. And I am convinced that el-Rufai can play that role effectively. I am therefore using this opportunity to impress it upon the President, as one of his ardent supporters in the region, that el-Rufai should be brought back to his camp now,” Nataro stated.

He explained that bringing el-Rufai back into Tinubu’s political camp would significantly boost the President’s electoral prospects in the North-West, given the former Kaduna State governor’s regional influence.

He added: “A Tinubu/El-Rufai joint ticket is reliable and cannot be surmounted by any other, even if Goodluck Jonathan joins the race. Going by Nigeria’s Constitution, Jonathan has already completed his second term in office. “But even if he contests, I do not think he would select a running mate from the North-West, because Kabiru Tanimu Turaki, SAN, has already emerged as national chairman from the zone.”

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