El-Rufai in Imo Hints at Preferred Presidential Candidate, Urges Igbos to Register and Vote Against APC

Former Kaduna State Governor, Malam Nasir El-Rufai, during a visit to Imo State, delivered a stark message that implicitly criticized his former party, the All Progressives Congress (APC), and hinted at his preferred presidential candidate for the 2027 elections.

The former governor was a guest at the inauguration of the expanded State Executive Council (EXCO) held at the Imo State Government House in Owerri, where he was special guest of honour alongside Governor Hope Uzodinma.

Speaking to a audience that included top government officials, traditional rulers, and party stalwarts, El-Rufai delved into the contentious issue of Nigerian federalism and the perceived marginalization of the Southeast region. He stated that the Igbos have been sidelined from the nation’s leadership for too long, a situation he described as unjust.

His most explosive comments, however, came when he advised the audience on a strategic political path forward.

“I urge the people of the South-East to continue to unite and rally round one of your own,” El-Rufai was quoted.

He continued,The next election is about 2027. Start working today. Get your PVCs. Get ready to vote for your own. You can’t be complaining and still be voting for those you are complaining about.

Political analysts were quick to connect El-Rufai’s statement to the 2023 presidential candidate of the Labour Party (LP), Mr. Peter Obi, who is from Anambra State in the Southeast. Obi, who finished a strong third in the 2023 election, won overwhelmingly in the Southeast and is widely expected to be a key contender again in 2027.

El-Rufai’s rhetoric mirrors the core message of the Obi-dient movement, which argues that the traditional parties have failed the Igbo people and that self-determination through the ballot box is the solution. By urging Igbos to unite behind "one of your own," El-Rufai appears to be lending his significant political weight to this cause, potentially creating a powerful, cross-regional alliance.

The statement has triggered a flurry of reactions from political circles. Supporters of Peter Obi and the Labour Party have welcomed El-Rufai’s comments, seeing them as validation of their political mission.

“El-Rufai has simply stated the obvious,” said Osita Chidoka, a former Minister of Aviation and an Obi supporter. “It is a strategic advice that every wise Igbo person should take to heart. The time for complaining is over; the time for strategic voting is here.”

Within the APC, however, the reaction is likely one of alarm and frustration. El-Rufai, a key architect of the party’s 2015 victory, has been increasingly critical of the party’s direction since the contentious 2023 primaries and his subsequent sidelining from President Bola Tinubu’s government. His comments in Imo are his most overt act of political defiance to date and signal a potentially significant realignment ahead of 2027.

 “This is a major blow. El-Rufai still commands a loyal following in the North. For him to go to the East and tell them not to vote for APC is a serious matter. It shows the deep fractures within our party.”

Nasir El-Rufai’s visit to Imo State was far more than a ceremonial appearance. It was a calculated political gambit with a clear message: the 2027 election campaign has begun, and he is positioning himself outside the APC’s tent.