Presidency, El-Rufai Clash Over Tinubu’s Alleged President-For-Life Plot
A former Kaduna State Governor, Nasir El-Rufai, has accused President Bola Tinubu of planning to become president for life in Nigeria, just like Pual Biya has done in Cameroon, an accusation the Presidency has described as “unfounded speculation.”
El-Rufai, warned at the weekend while hosting a former Vice President, Atiku Abubakar, that if the opposition fails to stop Tinubu in 2027, he could transform to a life president, saying that the signs were there.
El-Rufai made the remarks during a solidarity visit by Atiku Abubakar last Friday evening, following an incident in which APC-aligned supporters reportedly attacked him (El-Rufai) at the inauguration of the African Democratic Congress (ADC) in Kaduna State.
Addressing the threats he sees in the current administration, El-Rufai said: “It’s a disgrace for people to behave the way they are behaving, it means all the years we were for democracy and NADECO was all fake, a pretense, all the claims we are fighting for, true federalism is all fake.”
He warned that the concentration of power at the center under the Tinubu administration could pave the way for a prolonged presidency.
“This government is trying to centralize everything instead of devolving powers to the lower levels but the sum total of this is that we are facing an evil of a large proportion in the history of this country that if we don’t come together to end this Tinubu administration in 2027, Tinubu will try to be our Paul Biya, he would be president for life, all the signs are there, this is how Paul Biya started,” El-Rufai said.
However, in its reaction, the Presidency has dismissed claims by El-Rufai Tinubu may attempt to cling to power beyond constitutional limits.
Responding in a post via his X handle on Sunday night, 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.”
