The Nigerian Presidency has refuted allegations made by former Kaduna State Governor, Nasir El-Rufai, suggesting that President Bola Tinubu may attempt to remain in power beyond constitutional limits.
El-Rufai, during a meeting with former Vice President Atiku Abubakar in Kaduna on Saturday, likened Tinubu to Cameroon’s long-serving President, Paul Biya, who has ruled since 1982 and recently announced plans to contest again at the age of 92.
According to El-Rufai, Nigeria faces an unprecedented political threat, warning that Tinubu could remain in power for life unless Nigerians unite to vote him out in the 2027 general elections.
“We are facing an evil of such a large proportion in the history of this country that if we don’t come together and end this Tinubu administration by 2027, Tinubu will try to be our Paul Biya. All the signs are there,” El-Rufai stated.
El-Rufai’s remarks came during a solidarity visit from Atiku, following an attack by political thugs during the inauguration of the African Democratic Congress in Kaduna.
In response, Special Adviser to the President on Information and Strategy, Bayo Onanuga, dismissed the allegations as “unfounded speculations” and “political fabrications.”
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Writing on his official X account (formerly Twitter) on Sunday evening, Onanuga said El-Rufai appeared rattled by the enthusiastic reception President Tinubu received during his recent visit to Kaduna.
“After reports of the grand reception President Tinubu received in Kaduna last Friday, El-Rufai was clearly surprised by the depth of support the President continues to enjoy in the North,” Onanuga wrote.
“This stands in stark contrast to his narrative that the region has abandoned the President.”
Onanuga stressed that President Tinubu remains committed to democratic principles and has no intention of extending his tenure beyond the constitutional limit.
“President Tinubu is a democrat who does not intend to stay in office beyond 28 May 2031, when re-elected in 2027,” he added.
He further accused El-Rufai’s political allies of being unsettled by Tinubu’s growing popularity nationwide, asserting that any attempts to block the President’s re-election bid were “doomed to fail.”
In closing, Onanuga called on Kaduna State Governor, Uba Sani, to intervene and engage with his predecessor, suggesting that El-Rufai might benefit from professional counselling to “steer him away from his recent political fabrications on Tinubu and 2027.”
