The Nigerian Presidency has fired back at former Kaduna State Governor, Mallam Nasir El-Rufai, following his recent claims that President Bola Ahmed Tinubu is plotting to become a “life president.”
El-Rufai, who was recently seen meeting with former Vice President Atiku Abubakar, alleged that all signs point to President Tinubu emulating figures like Cameroon’s Paul Biya, who has remained in power since 1982. The former governor reportedly called Tinubu’s democratic credentials “fake,” suggesting the current administration is already showing a lean toward totalitarianism.
In a swift and sharp rebuttal, the Special Adviser to the President on Information and Strategy, Mr. Bayo Onanuga, dismissed El-Rufai’s comments as baseless. Onanuga, writing on his social media platforms, suggested that the former Federal Capital Territory Minister may be in need of professional help. He contended that El-Rufai’s recent statements are a sign that he has realized the futility of his new party’s attempts to derail President Tinubu’s likely re-election in 2027. This, Onanuga added, is a “mission doomed to fail.”
Onanuga went on to say that El-Rufai was visibly surprised by the massive show of support for President Tinubu during his recent visit to Kaduna State. This, he noted, completely contradicts El-Rufai’s public narrative that the northern region has abandoned the president. In response, Onanuga claimed, El-Rufai resorted to spreading “hallucinations and political fabrications.”
“President Tinubu is a democrat who does not intend to stay in office beyond May 28, 2031, when re-elected in 2027,” Onanuga wrote. He then went on to suggest that Kaduna’s current Governor, Uba Sani, might want to reach out to his predecessor, as El-Rufai “could benefit from some professional counselling” to steer him away from his recent political fabrications.
