Bashir El-Rufai, son of ex-Kaduna State Governor, Nasir El-Rufai, has suggested that Labour Party’s 2023 presidential candidate, Peter Obi, might join the Social Democratic Party (SDP), following his father’s defection from the ruling All Progressives Congress (APC).
Bashir dropped the hint while responding to a post on X (formerly Twitter) by a user, @Freedom42602077, who argued that the SDP would struggle to defeat the APC in the 2027 elections unless it aligns with Peter Obi.
“Bro to bro, if Peter Obi is not in that party, they can’t win presidential. APC will have it again!” the user wrote.
Reacting, Bashir El-Rufai simply replied: “He is coming.”
He is coming
— Bashir El-Rufai (@BashirElRufai) March 10, 2025
The cryptic response has since fuelled speculations about ongoing political realignments ahead of the 2027 general elections, with many questioning whether Obi is indeed considering a move to the SDP.
Bashir’s remark comes in the wake of his father, Nasir El-Rufai’s high-profile exit from the APC.
The former Kaduna governor, who played a key role in the party’s formation and electoral victories in 2015, 2019, and 2023, recently submitted his resignation letter to his ward leadership in Kaduna State.
El-Rufai, who has been increasingly critical of the APC-led government under President Bola Tinubu, cited a widening disconnect between his personal values and the party’s current direction as the reason for his defection.
In a statement dated Monday, March 10, 2025, he lambasted the APC leadership, accusing them of abandoning the party’s founding progressive ideals.
“Developments in the last two years confirm that there is no desire on the part of those who currently control and run the APC to acknowledge, much less address, the unhealthy situation of the party,” El-Rufai said.
He noted that he had consistently raised concerns about the party’s trajectory, both privately and publicly, but he was ignored.