Former All Progressives Congress (APC) National Vice Chairman, Hilliard Eta, has declared that there is "nothing special" about former Kaduna State Governor Nasir El-Rufai, suggesting his move to join a coalition against President Bola Tinubu stems from disappointment over not receiving a ministerial appointment.

Speaking on AIT Focus Nigeria, Eta cautioned those behind the emerging opposition coalition, emphasizing that President Tinubu is a seasoned expert in building political alliances dating back to his days in the National Democratic Coalition (NADECO).

"Most of them were once friends of the present president and people like El-Rufai thought he could become Minister under Asiwaju," Eta stated. "The question you ask is that if El-Rufai was Minister at this time, would he be doing coalition today? I'm very sure he would be presenting his report card to Nigerians at this time in his ministry or not."

The APC chieftain further asserted his own credentials, saying: "Let me tell El-Rufai that people like us were more instrumental to the making of the president than him and if we could not be Ministers, there is nothing special about him."

Coalition Against Tinubu

El-Rufai, alongside former presidential candidates Atiku Abubakar of the Peoples Democratic Party and Peter Obi of the Labour Party, has been spearheading the formation of a coalition reportedly aimed at unseating President Tinubu in the 2027 elections.

Last week, the trio and other stakeholders met to take far-reaching decisions regarding the movement. El-Rufai subsequently declared that the coalition will remove Tinubu from power in 2027.

Eta dismissed the coalition efforts, describing them as self-serving. "People like Kwankwaso and Aregbesola were all close allies of this man (Tinubu), these people are narrow-minded; they look only after themselves," he said.

The APC chieftain delivered a pointed warning to the coalition members: "When you quarrel and you go to form a coalition, just remember that this is the master of coalition forming, he has been in the trenches of forming coalition since the days of NADECO. What you are doing now is just a play thing for him."

Eta concluded by suggesting that many politicians are motivated by self-interest rather than public service. "The truth of the matter is that what brings a lot of our people to politics is not enlightened, it's self-preservation. If it has not come to you now what makes you think it can't come to you later? Even if it does not come to you at all, if the country gets better, everybody gets better."