A former governor of Kaduna State, Nasir El-Rufai, has set tongues wagging after he recently paid a visit to a suspended member of the All Progressives Congress (APC), Rauf Aregbesola, and the cleric of Citadel Global Church, Pastor Tunde Bakare.

A few days ago, El-Rufai also visited the immediate past President, Muhammadu Buhari, in his Kaduna home.

Though details of the meetings have not been made known, they may not be unconnected to the move to build a coalition ahead of the 2027 presidential election.

El-Rufai has been making such moves since he fell out with President Bola Tinubu whom he helped get to power.

The promise to make him a minister in the Tinubu administration was blocked by the Senate after the former governor failed to scale through security clearance.

He has since been expressing his displeasure against the Tinubu administration and the APC which he says he no longer recognizes, adding that the party has left him behind.

Since the comment, El-Rufai has been spotted at gatherings attended by top opposition figures like former vice president Atiku Abubakar whom Tinubu defeated in the 2023 presidential election.

He's also rumoured to be nursing presidential ambition even though some quarters believe his moves are for the benefit of Atiku.

His moves have not gone without notice as the Presidency, through Bayo Onanuga, urged the former governor to move on and stop sulking.

"As a person, I pity the former governor of Kaduna State, Mallam Nasir El-Rufai. He feels hurt that he was not made a minister.

“It has been a long time since the cabinet was formed in August 2023. I think it is time for him to move on. He cannot continue to behave like a child, as if someone stole his bread,” the presidential aide stated.

ASA