Bayo Onanuga, special adviser on information and strategy to President Bola Tinubu, has criticized recent comments by former Kaduna governor Nasir el-Rufai, describing them as unfounded and misleading.
On Saturday, el-Rufai warned that Tinubu might attempt to cling to power in a manner similar to Cameroon’s Paul Biya if Nigerians do not unite against him in the 2027 elections. Biya, 92, has ruled Cameroon since 1982 and has announced plans to seek re-election in October, potentially extending his 43-year tenure.
Responding on his official X page, Onanuga said el-Rufai’s claims were based on “speculations and unfounded stories.” He suggested the former governor may have recognized the futility of efforts by his new political allies to block Tinubu’s re-election. “The plot is proving to be unattainable,” Onanuga said, calling it “a mission doomed to fail.”
Onanuga added that el-Rufai appeared unsettled by the “grand reception” Tinubu received during his visit to Kaduna last Friday, which contradicted claims that the northern region had abandoned the president. “Instead, 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,” Onanuga wrote.
He reaffirmed that President Tinubu, a committed democrat, has no intention of remaining in office beyond May 28, 2031, following a potential re-election in 2027. Onanuga also suggested that Governor Uba Sani of Kaduna might need to intervene. “El-Rufai could benefit from professional counseling to steer him away from recent political fabrications and hallucinations about Tinubu and the 2027 elections,” he added.
