Former Kaduna State governor, Nasir El-Rufai, on Sunday, paid a visit to ex-Minister of Interior, Rauf Aregbesola, and Pastor Tunde Bakare in Lagos.

Photographs showing the Kaduna politician with Aregbesola and Bakare quickly went viral on social media.

Although the details of El-Rufai’s discussions with the two politicians were not disclosed, it is widely believed that these visits are part of his political maneuvering ahead of the 2027 general elections.

Recently, El-Rufai has been outspoken in his criticism of the ruling All Progressives Congress and President Bola Tinubu.

He accused Tinubu of playing a role in his rejection by the National Assembly during ministerial screening.

Aregbesola, who was once an ally of Tinubu, recently left the APC along with his supporters in Osun State.

Bakare, who lost the APC presidential ticket to Tinubu ahead of the 2023 elections, has also voiced his discontent with the current government.

El-Rufai, a prominent figure in the APC, has also been seen interacting with opposition politicians, including 2023 Peoples Democratic Party presidential candidate, Atiku Abubakar.

Muyiwa Adekeye, El-Rufai’s media adviser, revealed the visit to Aregbesola and Bakare in a tweet on Sunday.

El-Rufai’s meeting with both figures follows a visit to former President Muhammadu Buhari in Kaduna just days earlier.

The former Kaduna governor’s visit to Lagos has sparked fresh discussions about his political future and potential strategic alliances ahead of the 2027 elections.

El-Rufai recently made headlines when he appeared on Arise Television, accusing Tinubu of intentionally excluding him from his list of ministerial nominees.

During the interview, the former Minister of the Federal Capital Territory hinted that he might leave the ruling APC, expressing that the party had already abandoned him.

When asked if he would support the President’s re-election bid in 2027, El-Rufai avoided the question, stating that he was uncertain if he would even remain in the APC by then.

His alleged anti-party actions prompted the National Publicity Secretary of the APC, Felix Morka, to question his true intentions at the end of the recently concluded National Executive Committee meeting in Abuja.

The National Secretary of the APC, Senator Ajibola Basiru, initially declined to comment on El-Rufai’s recent visit to Aregbesola and Bakare, stating that the party could not afford to give unnecessary attention to his activities.

When pressed further, the Osun party leader stated that El-Rufai was not a concern at the moment.

He said, “We don’t have any comment. Anybody who wants to worry about his movements is free. So far he is a Nigerian, El-Rufai is free to visit anybody he likes.

“We have more serious work to do than to comment on anybody roaming around.”

The National Deputy Organising Secretary of the party, Nze Chidi Duru, also expressed the view that El-Rufai has the right to associate freely with anyone he chooses.

He said, “You remember that he once visited Aregbesola when he was governor. But at the end of the day, he returned and supported Mr. President. In recognition of that, there is freedom of association, which is very important. And it is good that he is exercising it to the highest.

“There is no restriction with respect to that. So I don’t think any meaning should be read into his recent visits other than a meeting of friends. At the end of the day, if it leads to something beyond that, we then need to make demands.

“So it is not every visit that we should give political colouration or gain. I am not even thinking about it. It is like me going to visit a political friend and it then becomes a national issue. If there is something that comes out of such association, we can then comment about it.”