The Presidency has dismissed claims by former Kaduna State Governor, Nasir El-Rufai, that President Bola Tinubu may attempt to cling to power beyond constitutional limits.
El-Rufai had warned that Tinubu could try to emulate Cameroon’s Paul Biya, who has ruled since 1982 and recently declared his intention to contest again at 92.
The former Minister of the Federal Capital Territory stated that Tinbu may be in “power for life” if Nigerians fail to unite against him in the 2027 elections.
El-Rufai made the remarks on Saturday when he received former Vice President Atiku Abubakar, who paid him a solidarity visit following an attack by political thugs during the inauguration of the African Democratic Congress in Kaduna.
“The sum total of this is that 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, this is how Paul Biya started,” El-Rufai had said.
Responding in a post via his X handle on Sunday night, the Special Adviser on Information and Strategy to the President, Bayo Onanuga, described the comments as “unfounded speculations” and “political fabrications.”
Onanuga said El-Rufai appeared unsettled by the warm reception Tinubu received during his visit to Kaduna last Friday, insisting that the President continues to enjoy strong support in the North.
According to him, the show of support contradicted el-Rufai’s claim that the north has abandoned the president.
He wrote, “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. This stands in stark contrast to his narrative that the region has abandoned the President.
“In response, he resorted to spreading further unfounded stories, including the claim that President Tinubu intends to become a “life president” after 2027—a speculation that is baseless and absurd. President Tinubu is a democrat who does not intend to stay in office beyond May 28, 2031, when re-elected in 2027.”
Onanuga also suggested that El-Rufai’s political allies were frustrated by the President’s growing acceptance across the country, adding that their efforts to prevent his re-election in 2027 were “doomed to fail.”
He further urged Kaduna State Governor, Uba Sani, to engage with his predecessor, saying El-Rufai “could benefit from professional counselling to steer him away from his recent political fabrications on Tinubu and 2027.”
