The Presidency has strongly reacted to former Kaduna State Governor Nasir El-Rufai’s claim that President Bola Ahmed Tinubu harbors plan to stay in power beyond constitutional limits.
El-Rufai, speaking at an event over the weekend, alleged that the Tinubu administration was centralising power and warned that the President might seek to become “a life president.”
He urged former Vice President Atiku Abubakar and other political actors to unite against Tinubu in 2027.
“If we don’t come together and end this Tinubu administration by 2027, Tinubu will try to be our Paul Biya, to be president for life. All the signs are there, this is how Paul Biya started,” El-Rufai stated.
Presidency Responds to Allegations
In response, presidential spokesperson Bayo Onanuga dismissed El-Rufai’s comments as “unfounded claims and speculations.”
He said, “It is increasingly evident that El-Rufai has recognised the futility of attempts by his associates in his new party to prevent President Tinubu’s likely re-election in 2027. This plot is proving to be unattainable, a mission doomed to fail.”
Onanuga further stated that President Tinubu is a democrat who has no intention of extending his tenure beyond May 28, 2031, if re-elected in 2027.
“President Tinubu is a democrat who does not intend to stay in office beyond May 28, 2031, when re-elected in 2027,” he stated.
He accused El-Rufai of spreading baseless stories due to frustration over the President’s growing popularity, particularly in the North, pointing to the warm reception Tinubu received in Kaduna last Friday as evidence of continued public support.
Baseless and Absurd
The Presidency described El-Rufai’s suggestion of tenure elongation as “baseless and absurd,” noting that his remarks contradict the realities on the ground.
Onanuga said the administration remains focused on governance rather than unconstitutional ambitions.
The statement also suggested that El-Rufai may require “professional counselling” to steer him away from what it described as “hallucinations and political fabrications” surrounding Tinubu’s administration and the 2027 elections.