• About Us
  • Contact Us
  • Privacy & Policy
Sunday, July 6, 2025
Umpirenews | Latest News, Politics, Breaking News, Nigeria and African history
Advertisement
  • National
  • Politics
  • Economy
  • Entertainment
  • Sports
  • Editorial
  • Opinion
  • Columns
No Result
View All Result
  • National
  • Politics
  • Economy
  • Entertainment
  • Sports
  • Editorial
  • Opinion
  • Columns
No Result
View All Result
Umpirenews | Latest News, Politics, Breaking News, Nigeria and African history
No Result
View All Result

The Shadow Strategist: El-Rufai, the Illusion of Power, and 2027’s Looming Reckoning

Odini Brains by Odini Brains
July 6, 2025
in Columns
Reading Time: 4 mins read
A A
0
El-Rufai Plans New Party as ADC Backup Against APC Interference
Share on FacebookShare on TwitterShare on WhatsappShare on EmailShare on Telegram

There are men who walk into a room and command attention by presence. Then, there are those who needn’t enter at all, but their shadow does the talking. Mallam Nasir El-Rufai is that second kind. Like the whisper of a well-placed rumour, his influence slips through the corridors of power. Unseen by the untrained eyes, but unmistakable in its impact.

As a political observer who has keenly followed and reported from the trenches of Nigerian politics. I’ve watched kings crowned and dethroned, alliances forged in the dark, and betrayals delivered with a smile in glaring camara’s. Through all this, El-Rufai remains one of the most enigmatic and strategic figures in the Nigerian political arena. Brilliant, divisive, calculating, and always just a step ahead of the fray.

To understand El-Rufai is to understand the invisible scaffolding that holds up political power in Nigeria. He is not just a former governor or a minister with a penchant for controversy. He is a political tactician of rare clarity, whose influence extends far beyond his official titles.

In 2013, when the opposition floundered in disarray, fragmented by ego and ideology, El-Rufai was among the key architects of the unprecedented coalition that birthed the All-Progressives Congress (APC). It was no ordinary alliance. It was a calculated merger of desperation and ambition, uniting northern political machinery, progressive intellectuals, and Bola Tinubu’s formidable southwestern base.

The 2013 coalition that brought former President Muhammadu Buhari and the APC at large wasn’t just built in boardrooms. It was born of late-night strategy sessions, whispers traded in coded language, and the invisible ink of understanding between men who rarely trusted, but needed one another. El-Rufai understood the stakes. He understood that a single party needed to look like a movement, feel like a rebellion, and speak with the voice of the nation’s exhaustion.

And it worked. The APC swept into power in 2015, toppling the PDP’s 16-year reign by installing Muhammadu Buhari as president. El-Rufai’s fingerprints were all over that blueprint, even if history tries to write him in the margins.

Since leaving office as governor of Kaduna State, El-Rufai has assumed a different posture. A quieter, more elusive, but no less potent. His public interventions are rare, but when they come, they land with surgical precision. A tweet. A cryptic remark at a public forum. A withheld endorsement. In the theatre of power, absence can be as loud as presence.

Unlike other political juggernauts in the coalition, who crave the spotlight, El-Rufai often thrives in the half-light, where influence is more enduring than applause. His political relevance isn’t tethered to any formal office, it is anchored in perception, and in Nigeria, perception is reality. The ability to make others believe you hold the cards, even when you’re not at the table, is perhaps the highest form of political mastery.

Now, as the 2027 elections loom, the winds of coalition are once again stirring. The African Democratic Congress (ADC), once considered a fringe player, seems to be the third legthat will unseat Tinubu. The ADC has been adopted by a coalition of strange bedfellows: disaffected APC insiders, Labour Party dreamers, and regional tacticians with fresh scores to settle.

And if whispers from the back rooms of Abuja are to be believed, El-Rufai’s criticisms of President Bola Tinubu’s administration might just be a strategic as it was in 2013. Because here’s the uncomfortable truth: no one in Nigeria understands the art of unseating a sitting president better than El-Rufai. He’s done it before.

If the ADC manages to channel the frustrations of today, the economic fatigue, the rising youth disillusionment, and the cracks within Tinubu’s power bloc, it could mount a serious challenge. But a coalition without a spine collapses. And that spine, like in 2013, may once again come in the form of a strategist rather than a showman.

Ignore El-Rufai at your own peril. He may not be campaigning. He may not even run. But he moves like a chessmaster who already knows the next five plays. The key question isn’t whether he wants power, but whether he wants to determine who holds it. That distinction matters, because influence, not titles, is his true currency.

In 2027, the stakes will be higher, the electorate angrier, and the political space more volatile. Should El-Rufai decide to tip the balance, even subtly. It could change everything. He may not speak often, but when he does, Nigeria listens. Because when he casts his shadow, even giants pause to check where the light is coming from.

Let no one be fooled by the calm. The game for the ADC presidential ticket is already underway.

And El-Rufai, ever the tactician, just might be setting the board.

Odini Brains

Odini Brains

Related Posts

Columns

Kidnapped, Silenced, Vindicated: The Full Impact of Kanu’s Judgment

1 week ago
The Emerging Kogi: Economic Growth Impact Transforming Better Reality
Columns

The Emerging Kogi: Economic Growth Impact Transforming Better Reality

2 weeks ago
Data Visualizations
Columns

Five Key Considerations for Creating Effective Data Visualizations

6 months ago
The Transformative Power of AI in Revolutionizing Industries and Empowering Growth
Columns

The Transformative Power of AI in Revolutionizing Industries and Empowering Growth

7 months ago

Leave a Reply Cancel reply

Your email address will not be published. Required fields are marked *

I agree to the Terms & Conditions and Privacy Policy.

NATIONS NEWS

Tinubu, Brazil Forge Alliance to Boost Nigeria’s Agricultural Exports
National

Tinubu, Brazil Forge Alliance to Boost Nigeria’s Agricultural Exports

5 hours ago
Legislature and judiciary servants of Tinubu, not independent, says Buba Galadima
National

Legislature and judiciary servants of Tinubu, not independent, says Buba Galadima

1 day ago
ASUU UNIJOS Declares Strike Over Unpaid June 2025 Salaries
National

ASUU UNIJOS Declares Strike Over Unpaid June 2025 Salaries

2 days ago
DHQ: Military Not Empowered to Offer Amnesty to Bandits or Terrorists
National

DHQ: Military Not Empowered to Offer Amnesty to Bandits or Terrorists

2 days ago
Kidnap victim who claimed to be my brother lied, I only have a sister — Zamfara governor
National

Kidnap victim who claimed to be my brother lied, I only have a sister — Zamfara governor

4 days ago
Experts Question Tinubu’s Saint Lucia Visit Amid Diplomatic Honour and Economic Skepticism
International

Experts Question Tinubu’s Saint Lucia Visit Amid Diplomatic Honour and Economic Skepticism

5 days ago

POLITICS

Count me out of coalition defection rumour, I remain an APC member — Zulum

Count me out of coalition defection rumour, I remain an APC member — Zulum

18 seconds ago
Arewa Youths, NAN Slam El-Rufai, Amaechi Over INEC Allegations

Arewa Youths, NAN Slam El-Rufai, Amaechi Over INEC Allegations

4 hours ago
Seven Akwa Ibom Lawmakers Defect to APC, Citing Party Divisions

South-South APC Endorses Tinubu for 2027 Presidential Election, urges Fubara and Diri to join the APC.

4 hours ago
Legislature and judiciary servants of Tinubu, not independent, says Buba Galadima

Legislature and judiciary servants of Tinubu, not independent, says Buba Galadima

1 day ago
Wike Challenges ADC Leaders to Show Scorecard Ahead of 2027 Elections 

Wike Challenges ADC Leaders to Show Scorecard Ahead of 2027 Elections 

1 day ago
2027 election: I will support Peter Obi if he gets coalition’s ADC presidential ticket — Lamido

2027 election: I will support Peter Obi if he gets coalition’s ADC presidential ticket — Lamido

1 day ago

YOUR ECONOMY

Senate Threatens Arrest of NNPCL Boss over missing N210 Trillion
Economy

Senate Threatens Arrest of NNPCL Boss over missing N210 Trillion

1 week ago
IPMAN: Dangote’s New Delivery Plan Will Bring Cheaper Fuel to Nigerians’s
Economy

IPMAN: Dangote’s New Delivery Plan Will Bring Cheaper Fuel to Nigerians’s

2 weeks ago
Enforce Transparent Pump Pricing, oil marketers Cheating Nigerians, PENGASSAN laments
Economy

Enforce Transparent Pump Pricing, oil marketers Cheating Nigerians, PENGASSAN laments

3 weeks ago
PETROAN kicks against Dangote’s petrol distribution strategy
Economy

PETROAN kicks against Dangote’s petrol distribution strategy

3 weeks ago
Dangote Refinery Begins Distribution of Petrol Nationwide
Economy

Dangote Refinery Begins Distribution of Petrol Nationwide

3 weeks ago
Nigeria Stock Exchange to Partner with Hong Kong’s Stock market
Economy

Nigeria Stock Exchange to Partner with Hong Kong’s Stock market

4 weeks ago

E & P

Chelsea Target Arsenal’s Ethan Nwaneri Amid Contract Talks
Sports

Chelsea Target Arsenal’s Ethan Nwaneri Amid Contract Talks

by Steven Atogi
23 hours ago
0

England international Ethan Nwaneri has emerged as a transfer target for Chelsea amid ongoing Arsenal contract discussions.The 18-year-old attacking midfielder...

Arsenal Close In on Madueke Transfer After Agreeing Personal Terms

Arsenal Close In on Madueke Transfer After Agreeing Personal Terms

1 day ago
Just In: Thomas Partey charged with rape and sexual assault

Just In: Thomas Partey charged with rape and sexual assault

2 days ago
Liverpool striker Diogo Jota and brother dies in ghastly car accident

Liverpool striker Diogo Jota and brother dies in ghastly car accident

3 days ago
Luis Enrique: We Can’t Stop Messi Without a Collective Effort

Luis Enrique: We Can’t Stop Messi Without a Collective Effort

1 week ago
Fenerbahçe Closes In on €10M Transfer Deal for Colombian Striker Jhon Durán

Fenerbahçe Closes In on €10M Transfer Deal for Colombian Striker Jhon Durán

1 week ago

YOUR THOUGHT & HISTORY

El-Rufai Plans New Party as ADC Backup Against APC Interference
Columns

The Shadow Strategist: El-Rufai, the Illusion of Power, and 2027’s Looming Reckoning

by Odini Brains
4 hours ago
Columns

Kidnapped, Silenced, Vindicated: The Full Impact of Kanu’s Judgment

by Odini Brains
1 week ago
The Emerging Kogi: Economic Growth Impact Transforming Better Reality
Columns

The Emerging Kogi: Economic Growth Impact Transforming Better Reality

by Kiikpoye Karibo
2 weeks ago
ON THE PUBLIC NUISANCE CALLED SOWORE
Opinion

ON THE PUBLIC NUISANCE CALLED SOWORE

by Kiikpoye Karibo
4 months ago
Data Visualizations
Columns

Five Key Considerations for Creating Effective Data Visualizations

by Blessing Chinyere Daniel
6 months ago

Who we are

Umpirenews | Latest News, Politics, Breaking News, Nigeria and African history

Welcome to Umpire News, your go-to online newspaper dedicated to broadening perspectives and expanding the horizons of our numerous readers. Read more

Browse by Category

  • Columns
  • Economy
  • Editorial
  • Entertainment
  • International
  • National
  • News
  • Opinion
  • Politics
  • Sports
  • Trends

Recent News

Count me out of coalition defection rumour, I remain an APC member — Zulum

Count me out of coalition defection rumour, I remain an APC member — Zulum

July 6, 2025
El-Rufai Plans New Party as ADC Backup Against APC Interference

The Shadow Strategist: El-Rufai, the Illusion of Power, and 2027’s Looming Reckoning

July 6, 2025
  • About Us
  • Contact Us
  • Privacy & Policy

© 2024 Copyright Umpirenews. All rights reserved

No Result
View All Result
  • Home
  • National
  • Economy
  • Politics
  • Sports
  • Entertainment
  • Editorial
  • Opinion
  • Columns

© 2024 Copyright Umpirenews. All rights reserved

This website uses cookies. By continuing to use this website you are giving consent to cookies being used. Visit our Privacy and Cookie Policy.
🤑Join & Get Our Easter Gifts 🤑

Enter your NAME & Email NOW!!

Be among the 1st 100 lucky WINNERS to win our Amazing GIFTs this Easter Period as you READ our Daily hot NEWs & make meaningful comments and follow us on our social media handles.

Name
Enter your email address