A former governorship candidate of the All Progressives Congress, APC, in Kebbi State, Mallam Salihu Isa Nataro, has urged President Bola Ahmed Tinubu to prevail on former Kaduna State governor, Mallam Nasir el-Rufai, to return to the ruling party and align with his administration ahead of the 2027 general elections.
Nataro said the ongoing political realignment in the North makes it necessary for the President to pay closer attention to the North-West geopolitical zone, especially following the removal of Dr Abdullahi Umar Ganduje as APC national chairman, which he said has weakened the zone’s political influence within the party.
He warned that speculations about a possible coalition involving former Kano State governor, Rabiu Musa Kwankwaso, under the African Democratic Congress, ADC, should be a source of concern for Tinubu’s supporters.
According to him, even if the incumbent Kano State governor, Abba Kabir Yusuf, defects to the APC, the North-West would still lack a unifying political figure capable of mobilising broad support for the President.
Nataro attributed the rift between el-Rufai and the Tinubu camp to envy and the actions of political detractors, describing the former Kaduna governor as a strategic political asset whose influence remains strong in the region.
He, however, faulted el-Rufai’s decision to rely on foreign loans for urban renewal projects in Kaduna State, saying the funds would have been better invested in education, agriculture, or the establishment of cottage industries.
Despite this, Nataro said the former governor’s record in public service remains impressive, citing his performance as Minister of the Federal Capital Territory, FCT, under former President Olusegun Obasanjo.
“There is much work to be done in the North-West to effectively market President Tinubu. I am convinced that el-Rufai can play that role,” he said.
Nataro added that bringing el-Rufai back into Tinubu’s political camp would significantly boost the President’s electoral prospects in the North-West, given the former governor’s political reach and influence in the region.