Chuks Okocha in Abuja and John Shiklam in Kaduna

A former governor of Kaduna State, Nasir el-Rufai, has appealed to former Vice President Atiku Abubakar; former Anambra State governor and 2023 presidential candidate of the Labour Party (LP), Peter Obi; former Osun State governor, Rauf Aregbesola and former Transport Minister, Rotimi Amaechi, to join the Social Democratic Party (SDP).
El-Rufai also revealed that despite knowing President Bola Tinubu’s Chicago issues, he supported him in the 2023 presidential election because he thought he would replicate in Nigeria what he did in Lagos State.
On March 10, El-Rufai defected from the ruling All Progressives Congress (APC) to the SDP.
In an interview with the Hausa Service of the British Broadcasting Corporation (BBC) aired yesterday, El-Rufai called on all opposition leaders to join the SDP to defeat President Tinubu in 2027.
He said opposition leaders should come together and join forces not by merger of political parties as that will involve the registration of another party.
The former governor said: “My wish and prayers are that Atiku Abubakar, Peter Obi, Rotimi Amaechi, Rauf Aregbesola and
all opposition leaders come and join SDP, not to do a merger or to register a new political party.”
El-Rufai said he was motivated to support Tinubu in the 2023 presidential election because of his achievements as Lagos State governor.
He said he was hopeful that Tinubu would work for Nigeria the way he did in Lagos.
“We know what Tinubu did in Lagos; we are all aware, but we said if he can do the same as he did that makes Lagos great, we said okay; let’s support him,” he said.
El-Rufai said: “What pains me is that the government we supported and had confidence in would do well, because we saw what Tinubu did in Lagos despite his challenges. “We all knew about his issues in Chicago, but we thought if he could replicate his work in Lagos for Nigeria, let’s support him. However, he failed.”
Asked about his past criticism of Atiku, he replied: “I never betrayed Atiku Abubakar because we didn’t meet in politics; we met at work. In work, if I see that he didn’t do well, whoever he is, I will tell him. I told Buhari, and I even took Buhari to court on the new naira issue.
“When Obasanjo and Atiku were having issues, those of us working with Obasanjo looked at the issues between them and said Obasanjo was more right. It was not about North and South; Obasanjo was right. Atiku and I are now together, and if I betrayed him why are we together now,” el-Rufai said.

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