Malam Nasir El-Rufai has stated that the emerging opposition coalition does not require the support of governors to defeat President Bola Tinubu in the 2027 general elections.
During a media briefing in Kano on Monday, El-Rufai — who recently defected from the All Progressives Congress (APC) to the Social Democratic Party (SDP) — emphasized that the coalition’s focus is on grassroots voter mobilization rather than relying on political officeholders.
“We are trying to offer Nigerians a real alternative — something different from what they have seen before,” El-Rufai said.
“A governor has only one vote. Nigerians have many more votes than one governor or even 36 governors combined,” he added.
His remarks come in response to the PDP Governors’ Forum formally rejecting any coalition or merger plans ahead of 2027.
This followed recent high-level meetings involving key opposition figures, including former Vice President Atiku Abubakar and El-Rufai, with former President Muhammadu Buhari in Kaduna, which had sparked speculation about PDP alignment with the broader coalition.
However, the PDP governors, after a strategic meeting in Ibadan led by Acting National Chairman Ambassador Umar Damagum, publicly distanced themselves from any coalition effort.
“We are not merging with anyone. We are focused on rebuilding our party for the future,” the forum declared.
In a move reminiscent of 2023 when some PDP governors supported Tinubu’s emergence, Governor Umo Eno of Akwa Ibom recently pledged his state’s full support for President Tinubu’s second term bid.
At the flag-off of the Lagos-Calabar Coastal Highway project, he said:
“We believe in continuity, and Akwa Ibom will stand with Mr. President to complete his eight years in office.”
The opposition coalition also suffered a setback with the defection of Delta State Governor Sheriff Oborevwori, former Vice President Ifeanyi Okowa, and their allies to the APC — formalized just yesterday.
In reaction to these developments, El-Rufai insisted that the coalition’s success is not contingent on the support of state governors.
“The fact that one governor from the PDP has defected means nothing. We are not counting on governors to win elections. We are counting on the people,” he stated.
“A governor has only one vote. Nigerians — millions of them — have more power than 36 governors combined.
It doesn’t matter if you gather all the governors together; if the people of Nigeria say they are not with you, it is over.”
El-Rufai pointed to the 2023 presidential election, where Tinubu lost Lagos despite the APC having a sitting governor there, as proof of governors’ limited influence.
“The president had a sitting governor in Lagos — and still lost Lagos. So, what is the real value of a governor?”
Reflecting on his own experience, he said: “I was the governor of Kaduna State. I fought hard to deliver President Tinubu in my state, but I lost. That taught me a hard lesson — that elections are ultimately decided by the people, not by political figures.”
He reaffirmed that the coalition would pursue a people-driven strategy, adding:
“Governors do not determine election results. The people do. We want the SDP and our coalition to remind Nigerians of that fundamental truth.”
On potential presidential candidates — with names like Atiku Abubakar and Peter Obi already circulating — El-Rufai said it’s too early for such discussions.
“Our focus now is not on selecting candidates. It is on building the platform first.
We have told all those with presidential aspirations: put aside your ambitions for now. Join us as equal members and help us build a credible alternative.”
He stressed that while aspirants with large followings are welcome, personal ambition would not lead the coalition.
“If and when all opposition groups come under the SDP, we will have that conversation.
But for now, we must work together to build something Nigerians can trust.”
He also dismissed ethnic or regional considerations in candidate selection:
“I no longer care where the president comes from. I want a candidate who can offer real solutions to Nigeria’s problems and excite Nigerians enough to come out and vote.”
Warning about the current state of the country, he added: “We are facing an existential crisis. It is not about North or South anymore. It is about survival, unity, and progress. Whoever can deliver that — wherever they come from — will have my support.”
‘We Were Never Planning a PDP Merger’
Addressing the PDP governors’ refusal to join the coalition, El-Rufai clarified that a merger with the PDP was never the plan.
“From the beginning, our intention was never to merge with the PDP. We have been very clear about that.
The PDP is a spent force. It is a party targeted for destruction, and, frankly, it has almost succeeded.”
According to him, the coalition seeks to give Nigerians a genuine alternative, not a rebranded version of parties known for internal strife and past failures.
“We are not looking at political parties that are already ravaged by internal conflicts. We are building something fresh, something that will inspire hope.
When Nigerians look at the faces involved, they will hopefully say: ‘Yes, maybe this time it will be different.’ That is the goal, and it is ongoing.”
