Peter Obi, El-Rufai meet in US amid push for coalition

Peter Obi, former presidential candidate of the Labour Party (LP) has met with ex-governor of Kaduna State, Nasir El-Rufai, in the United States.

The two political figures crossed paths at the University of Cambridge during the 11th Annual Cambridge Africa Together Conference, which took place at St. John’s College. El-Rufai was featured among the event’s speakers, joining a roster of African leaders, academics, and influencers dedicated to dialogue and transformation across the continent.

El-Rufai, who has recently switched political allegiance from the All Progressives Congress (APC) to the Social Democratic Party (SDP), is widely viewed as a close political associate of former Vice President Atiku Abubakar.

Alongside Obi and Atiku, El-Rufai took part in announcing the creation of a new opposition alliance, which is positioning itself to challenge the administration of President Bola Tinubu.

The coalition, according to speculation, is expected to adopt the SDP as its political platform ahead of the 2027 elections.

El-Rufai has been labeled in some quarters as Atiku’s potential placeholder within the SDP structure.