Bashir El-Rufai, the son of former Kaduna State Governor, Nasir El-Rufai, has expressed a shift in his views regarding Peter Obi, the presidential candidate of the Labour Party, describing him as “a great potential President or Vice-President.”
In a statement posted on Monday via X, Bashir acknowledged that his previous negative perception of Obi was influenced by members of his former party, the All Progressives Congress (APC).
“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,” he wrote.
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This development comes amidst significant political shifts, as Bashir’s father, Nasir El-Rufai, resigned from the ruling APC on Monday and joined the Social Democratic Party (SDP). The former governor cited a growing disconnect between his personal values and the current direction of the APC as the reason for his defection.
“Developments in the last two years have confirmed that those who currently control and run the APC do not desire to acknowledge, much less address, the party’s unhealthy situation,” El-Rufai wrote on his X handle.
He further explained that after consulting with his mentors, colleagues, and loyalists, he decided to join the SDP ahead of the 2027 general elections.
“As a member of the SDP, I will focus on engaging with and persuading other opposition leaders and parties to join us, forming a unified democratic platform to challenge the APC in all elections and bye-elections leading up to 2027,” he added.
El-Rufai’s departure from the APC follows his recent criticisms of the party’s leadership, particularly their failure to convene crucial meetings of the National Executive Council and Board of Trustees throughout 2023. His political moves have sparked further speculation after his recent meetings with former Minister of Interior, Rauf Aregbesola, and Pastor Tunde Bakare in Lagos, fuelling discussions about his 2027 ambitions.
