By Parrot Newspaper 
2027: Join SDP to Save Nigeria from ‘Area Boys’ – El-Rufai’s Son, Bashir
Bashir El-Rufai, son of former Kaduna State governor Nasir El-Rufai, has urged Nigerians to join the Social Democratic Party (SDP) in what appears to be a call to challenge the dominance of President Bola Tinubu’s political allies.
In a cryptic post on X (formerly Twitter) on Friday, Bashir wrote: “Join in saving this country from area boys.”
Though he did not explicitly mention names, his statement is widely interpreted as a dig at Tinubu’s appointees, particularly those from Lagos State.
His comments come shortly after his father, Nasir El-Rufai, officially defected from the ruling All Progressives Congress (APC) to the SDP. The former Kaduna governor has become an outspoken critic of the Tinubu administration, citing a disconnect between his values and the APC’s current leadership.
El-Rufai had previously accused Tinubu of appointing only his close associates, particularly from Lagos, rather than selecting individuals based on competence or regional balance.
“The president’s appointments are not being made because the appointees are Yoruba, but because they are his own boys, and most of the appointments do not even reasonably cover the South-West,” he stated.
Bashir’s call to action suggests growing discontent within some political circles over Tinubu’s governance style and appointments. With his father now in the SDP, speculation is rife about whether the party could become a rallying point for disgruntled APC members ahead of the 2027 elections.
Whether Bashir’s remarks gain traction remains to be seen, but they add to the mounting criticism of the Tinubu-led government’s handling of political appointments and governance.