Former Kaduna State Governor, Nasir El-Rufai, on Sunday, visited former Minister of Interior, Rauf Aregbesola, and cleric Pastor Tunde Bakare in Lagos.
Photographs of the meeting quickly circulated on social media, sparking discussions about the purpose of the visit. Although the details of their discussions were not disclosed, speculation is rife that El-Rufai is strengthening his political network ahead of the 2027 general elections.
El-Rufai, who has been increasingly vocal in his criticism of the All Progressives Congress (APC) and President Bola Tinubu, recently accused Tinubu of orchestrating his removal from the list of ministerial nominees.
His grievances with the administration were further highlighted in a controversial Arise TV interview, where he suggested that the APC had sidelined him.
The former governor’s visit comes shortly after he met with former President Muhammadu Buhari in Kaduna, further fueling speculation about his political future.
When asked about El-Rufai’s meeting with Aregbesola and Bakare, APC National Secretary, Senator Ajibola Basiru, downplayed its significance:
“We don’t have any comment. Anybody who wants to worry about his movements is free. So far he is a Nigerian, El-Rufai is free to visit anybody he likes. We have more serious work to do than to comment on anybody roaming around.”
Similarly, APC National Deputy Organising Secretary, Nze Chidi Duru, dismissed political interpretations of the visit, emphasizing freedom of association.
“There is no restriction with respect to that. So I don’t think any meaning should be read into his recent visits other than a meeting of friends. At the end of the day, if it leads to something beyond that, we then need to make demands.” Duru stated.
With El-Rufai’s increasing engagements outside the APC, many are now watching closely to see whether he will remain in the party or forge a new political path before 2027.
![Rev. Fr. Anthony Odiong, a US-based Nigerian Louisiana Catholic priest, was arrested in Florida on Tuesday for possessing child pornography, according to law authorities. The suspect is reportedly accused of many other cases of sexual assault. The Waco, Texas, Police Department announced in a Facebook post on Tuesday that officers detained Father Anthony Odiong in Ave Maria, Florida, with assistance from the United States Marshals Service. Waco police announced in March that they had received "credible information" about a sexual assault allegedly committed by Odiong in Texas in 2012. “During the subsequent investigation, a case of possession of child pornography was uncovered,” the police said. The priest was apprehended in Florida by the Caribbean Regional Fugitive Task Force. The Waco Police Department said that he will be extradited to Texas. Odiong had previously served in the Archdiocese of New Orleans before being removed as priest in December of last year due to controversy over homilies in which he claimed, among other things, that the Catholic Church was being taken over by "the gays." At the time, the priest was also accused of abusive behaviour; a Louisiana lady claimed in U.S. bankruptcy court that Odiong had committed both financial and sexual abuse against her. Prior to joining the New Orleans Archdiocese, Odiong served in at least two Texas parishes. On Tuesday, Waco police stated that during their sexual assault investigation, "the presence of other survivors was revealed." “Multiple women have come forward to tell similar experiences as the sexual assault survivor who reported the initial allegation,” the police department said. “Survivors’ experiences ranged from sexual assault and indecent assault, more commonly recognised as groping, and financial abuse, with some survivors experiencing every element of Anthony Odiong’s manipulation.” The police said they “believe there may be more survivors, and we wish to speak with anyone who [has] had similar encounters” with the priest. The Archdiocese of New Orleans issued a brief news release on Tuesday noting Odiong's arrest in Florida. The archdiocese “encourages anyone with any information to contact law enforcement,” the release said.](https://chronicle.ng/wp-content/uploads/2024/08/ezgif-6-4730550ede-450x300.jpg "Odiong: US-based Nigerian Catholic priest convicted over sexual assault")
