A high-profile political meeting involving former Kaduna State Governor Nasir el-Rufai, ex-presidential aide Major Hamza Al-Mustapha, and Social Democratic Party (SDP) Chairman Shehu Gabam took place in Abuja on Tuesday. The gathering, held at the SDP’s national headquarters, was described as a “strategic meeting” aimed at strengthening opposition politics ahead of Nigeria’s 2027 general elections.
The meeting also featured Segun Showunmi, former spokesperson for the Atiku Abubakar campaign organization, alongside other notable politicians. According to a social media post by Showunmi, the agenda focused on reviewing the current state of opposition politics in the country and devising strategies to solidify its structure ahead of the next electoral cycle.
“Ahead of Nigeria’s 2027 elections, a key meeting was held by His Excellency Shehu Gabam, Chairman of the Social Democratic Party (SDP), with political figures including former Kaduna State Governor Nasir el-Rufai, Major Hamza Al-Mustapha, and myself,” Showunmi wrote on Facebook. “The meeting aimed to review the current state of opposition politics and find ways to strengthen it for the upcoming elections.”
In a separate post on X (formerly Twitter), Showunmi referred to the gathering as a strategic engagement to assess the state of opposition democratic efforts in Nigeria, emphasizing the importance of collaboration among political stakeholders.
The timing of this meeting has sparked fresh conversations about el-Rufai’s political future. Since his failure to secure confirmation as a minister in President Bola Tinubu’s cabinet following petitions against him, speculations have mounted about his potential defection from the ruling All Progressives Congress (APC) to other political platforms.
El-Rufai, an APC stalwart, has repeatedly denied rumors of his plans to leave the party. However, the high-profile nature of Tuesday’s meeting with opposition figures has fueled speculation about his political trajectory.
Shehu Gabam, host of the meeting, is positioning the SDP as a critical player in Nigeria’s opposition politics, with a renewed focus on consolidating alliances ahead of 2027. The inclusion of Hamza Al-Mustapha, a controversial figure from Nigeria’s political past, further underscores the strategic importance of the meeting.
This development marks the latest in a series of political realignments as parties and politicians prepare for what promises to be a competitive electoral cycle in 2027. The role of opposition parties in challenging the dominance of the APC and PDP is expected to intensify, with meetings like this signaling a growing appetite for unity among opposition forces.
