![L-R: Former Vice President, Atiku Abubakar and former Kaduna State Governor, Nasir El-Rufai. [Facebook/Getty Images]](https://image.api.sportal365.com/process//smp-images-production/pulse.ng/13012025/96439c94-a3b2-426c-8ddf-2ca148efd43e.jpg?operations=autocrop(1042:580))
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A prominent figure in the New Nigeria Peoples Party (NNPP), Buba Galadima, has accused former Kaduna State Governor Nasir El-Rufai of positioning himself as a “placeholder” for former Vice President Atiku Abubakar in the Social Democratic Party (SDP), in anticipation of a potential fallout within the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) ahead of the 2027 general elections.
Galadima, a former National Secretary of the now-defunct Congress for Progressive Change (CPC), made the explosive claims during a recent interview in which he also shed light on ongoing efforts to form a broad opposition coalition to challenge President Bola Tinubu's All Progressives Congress (APC) in 2027.
“Well, not El-Rufai himself, but some of his associates, including the chairman of the SDP, visited me. We had a lengthy discussion, and I shared my views with them.
“I am confident that my perspective will prevail because El-Rufai cannot lead an opposition. It’s simply the law of karma catching up with him,” Galadima said
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He criticised El-Rufai’s track record, alleging repeated betrayals of key political figures, including Atiku, former President Olusegun Obasanjo, former President Muhammadu Buhari, and now President Tinubu.
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“He ditched a lot of people. Someone with this kind of record, I don’t think if you are sensible, you will follow him.
“It is only an insane person who does not understand politics or has no history who can follow El-Rufai,” he stated bluntly.
Galadima further questioned El-Rufai’s political instincts, arguing that his early coalition moves signal a lack of understanding of opposition dynamics.
“No opposition runs a marathon race. It’s a sprint, a 100-meter dash. El-Rufai is starting early. By the third year, he must have been dismembered.
“It’s because he’s not a politician, or because God is pushing him to suffer because of the bad things he did to the people,” he said.
![NNPP 2023 presidential candidate, Senator Rabiu Kwankwaso [Facebook]](https://image.api.sportal365.com/process/smp-images-production/pulse.ng/27072024/fc6265aa-22c5-4442-bd25-82c9ac700eef?operations=fit(1042:))
The NNPP chieftain also confirmed that multiple political actors, including El-Rufai, have initiated conversations with 2023 NNPP presidential candidate Rabiu Musa Kwankwaso.
“I must confess, even El-Rufai spoke to him… A lot of people are doing underground talking. That is what it should be,” he revealed.
Wike behind PDP crisis - Galadima
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Turning to the state of the PDP, Galadima dismissed the party as irreparably broken.
“The PDP has been destroyed completely; it is irredeemable,” he declared, pointing to internal divisions and the influence of Nyesom Wike.
“That is why Atiku is afraid of being stranded. El-Rufai is now jumping to become a placeholder for Atiku.”
Galadima also hinted at political interference in recent legal rulings, suggesting Wike’s influence extends into the judiciary.