Presidency Denies El-Rufai’s Allegation of Tinubu Plotting ‘Life Presidency’
By Joseph Iyaji | Akahi News
The Presidency has strongly dismissed allegations by former Kaduna State Governor, Nasir El-Rufai, suggesting that President Bola Ahmed Tinubu is plotting to make himself a “life president.”
El-Rufai, speaking over the weekend, had called on former Vice President Atiku Abubakar to rally opposition forces ahead of the 2027 general election, claiming that President Tinubu was centralising power and might seek to extend his stay in office indefinitely.
“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 had alleged.
Presidency Labels Claim as ‘Baseless’
Reacting in a statement on Sunday, presidential spokesperson Bayo Onanuga described the former governor’s comments as “unfounded claims and wild speculations,” insisting that President Tinubu is a committed democrat with no ambition to remain in office beyond 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,” Onanuga emphasised.
The statement added that President Tinubu’s popularity across Nigeria, particularly in the North, remains strong — citing the rousing welcome he received in Kaduna on Friday as evidence.
According to Onanuga, El-Rufai’s claims were a reaction to the failure of political plots by his associates to undermine Tinubu’s chances in 2027, describing such attempts as “a mission doomed to fail.”
Call for Reconciliation in Kaduna
Onanuga further suggested that Kaduna State Governor, Uba Sani, might need to engage with his predecessor, noting that “El-Rufai could benefit from some professional counselling to steer him away from his recent hallucinations and political fabrications on Tinubu and 2027.”
Political observers say the war of words signals deepening cracks within the political class as preparations for the 2027 elections begin to take shape.
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